Darkside
by deathbyhugs
Summary: Naruto, a unique person with the ability to change others, has fallen into a dangerous state. His own mind is giving in to a most feared demon. With no help in sight, what will befall the once perky prankster? And who will save him? [COMPLETE]
1. Problems

Author Note: I'm back! And this time, after many delays and lack of ideas, I have come up with a wonderful idea, one I hope you'll enjoy. This story has my full attention and _will_ be updated _every_ week or maybe even _twice_ if I'm about to go out of town. Please review at the end of each chapter, I like to read what people have to say and from comments I learn to write better. Also, I would love it if anyone could _please_ let me know how I'm doing regarding the characters, I want to keep them pretty much in-character and keeping me in check will help a lot. Enough babbling! Enjoy the first chapter!

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Naruto, obviously, so no suing allowed!

**_Warnings: _**This chapter, as well as a few others, will most likely hold some _slight_ spoilers. You'll be warned in advance every time there are some!

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

_**Darkside**_

**Problems**

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

_A total of two and a half years passed since Sasuke bid farewell to the powerful village of Konohagakure, contempt to fulfil his own desires, destroying the ties that bound him to his team mates and the rest of the world. Two and a half years seemed like an eternity, a vast amount of time, especially to those under intense and vigorous training. Two and a half years Konohagakure went astray without the presence of a one strong willed blond and, after all those years, he returned. _

_Everyone _looked_ as if they changed, but under all the makeup, clothing, and fake masks of vacant emotions, they were the _same_; Naruto had discovered this almost immediately after returning with Jiraiya. Konohagakure itself stood like a livid piece of Naruto's past, it appeared to have not changed over the years and still shone brightly through the dense forest that surrounded it. The buildings stood unchanged, resembling the same ones Naruto grew up around._

_But, as days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, everything remained the same. However, the ambitious blond found himself carrying out a mission quite unlike anything he experienced before: the rescue of Sunagakure's leader, the Kazekage. Gaara had been captured by no other than the most feared (and hated) group calling themselves 'Akatsuki'; their intentions were to harness the demon, Ichibi no Shukaku, from inside his body. _

_In the end... things turned out devastating... but everyone lived to see another day. Another day for Uzumaki Naruto to carry out one effortless mission after the other. Two weeks passed and it was then that things for Naruto began to change... for the worse..._

It was a beautiful morning. The bright sun reluctantly sauntered out from its nightly slumber and lit up every building Konohagakure had to offer with radiant bursts of sunshine. Clouds were scarce today, everything from the villagers to the pesky pigeons were glad for it. Konohagakure came to life within short hours of dawn, many of the early risers quickly used their time to set up food stands before the morning rush. Yes, today was defiantly a gorgeous day.

Away from the busy hustle and bustle of Konoha, resting calmly against the back of an old oak tree, sweet sounds of brisk rushing water as background music, sat one of the legendary Densetsu no Sanin... Jiraiya.

Flipping lazily through a mass of pages for yet another of his widely known novels, the aging man stared in disbelief. There was no way this could be happening. Looking closely, just to make sure his eyes weren't pulling any jokes (he was hoping that they were, secretly), Jiraiya was met with the same, entirely blank pages he had discovered bright and early this morning. Absolutely nothing was written.

_Where did all my precious writing go?_

Jiraiya felt his left eye twitch in irritation. Surely he hadn't drank _that_ much sake last night. He was quite convinced that yes, he had wrote _something; _Jiraiya began to loose confidence in himself now that he remembered the previous night.

"Oh, lovely..."

As if on cue, a cloud of thick, dark smoke appeared from above, nearly scaring the writer with a problem half to death. He watched through narrowed, predatory eyes as Kakashi made himself known. Hanging upside down off an aging tree branch, his chakra concentrated to keep his body steady, the silver haired ninja stared lazily at Jiraiya. He clutched his precious Icha Icha book possessively in his hand while gracefully landing on the ground beside the older, more seething man.

"You...called?"

Jiraiya stood, dusting himself off, then proceeded to quickly tuck his empty paged novel-in-progress into one of his hidden pockets. A minute later Kakashi found himself looking at a very serious man. He couldn't help but blink a couple times and scratch the back of his head nervously. He knew what they were here to talk about but that man could be intimidating when he wanted to be.

Kakashi cocked his head to the side as he closed his book, but not before placing one of his fingers between two pages so he wouldn't lose his spot.

"Did I...interrupt something?" It couldn't be helped, he had to ask.

Jiraiya coughed roughly and shook his head. "No, not today. But," he paused, eyeing Kakashi suspiciously. "Why were you late _this_ time?"

"Oh." Kakashi smiled underneath his mask and closed his visible eye. "I offered to help an old widow with her groceries and.."

"I see," Jiraiya cut in. He wasn't angry or anything, it was just typical Kakashi and his usual excuses after all, but there were more important matters to discuss. "Now...about Naruto..."

"Hokage-sama told me that she's trying to sway the council about Naruto going on higher ranked missions, though he _is_ a Genin...but, they are being quite... difficult to deal with."

"Along with that, I would also like to talk to you about the seal that keeps the Kyuubi dormant."

Kakashi opened his eye and, although it couldn't be seen, the smile on his lips disappeared. It seemed like there was a lot more trouble headed for Naruto than simply being handed D-rank missions.

"...Oh?"

"The seal," Jiraiya began. "I have quite a few suspicions that it's weakening. First of all, Naruto seems to have no control over his body or mind while using that fox's chakra, mostly when four tails take form. He quickly goes unconscious afterwards and can't remember anything; also, he cannot tell the difference between friend or foe while using a greater amount of chakra. There's a chance he could bleed to death from it... this could stir up many problems for the kid."

"Is he aware of this?"

Jiraiya sighed. "I've attempted to tell him... but he always cuts me off, _always_." The older man reached into the pockets of his pants and produced three thin pieces of paper, each with symbols painted neatly on them with black ink, a different symbol for a different seal. "I want you to take these and use them on Naruto... the moment more than two tails appear in his chakra... got that?"

Kakashi nodded and accepted the three seals, studying them carefully with his observant eye. He looked up at Jiraiya with a couple more questions fighting their way up his throat. "But...what do each of these do? They're all different, are they not?"

"The first one you have is to use just as the third tail is about to form. The second... you use _if_ the first doesn't work, which will most likely happen if he has three tails already." Jiraiya's expression hardened considerably then. "The last seal you must use if all else has failed... by using that last seal... Naruto may.."

"Oi! Ero-sennin!" Came a loud voice in the distance. Jiraiya felt his eye twitch unintentionally and looked at Kakashi, trying hard to hold his grave expression, portraying the outcome of the third seal through his now hardened eyes. He was quickly interrupted by a joyous Naruto, claiming that his sensei promised to buy him ramen.

Kakashi blinked as he silently put the seals away. One day, Naruto was going to have to pay back _a lot_ of people for the amount of money put towards treating him to his favorite dish.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

"_Absolutely not!_"

Tsunade grimaced under her calm facade as yet another barrage of protests from Konohagakure's elders and council members were directed her way, all against her pleas to allow Naruto on better missions.

"We can't possibly afford to put other people's lives on the line here!" One of the council members spoke up, giving Tsunade a stern look. It was answered by a frown from the leader of Konohagakure herself. She couldn't believe this!

"But...you must understand!" She argued back, something she knew she was good at. "Naruto has never done anything to harm this village, or anyone else for that matter! You've got to give him a chance!"

"What about that demon in him? The one Akatsuki is after? He'll only cause the village more problems running around with little to no control over it." The council member paused, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "Just why exactly do you care so much for this young man anyways?"

Tsunade looked around the circular table she was currently sitting at, a massive migraine growing as it throbbed in her head. Talk of the demon and Naruto being deemed a monster began to arise between the village elders and council members. She had heard of the things lingering in Naruto's past, the torment and cold stares, the rejection, the hate. It was happening again now...right before her eyes.

"That's enough!" Her loud voice carried over everyone, silencing their hushed whispering immediately. "I will not tolerate any of this!"

Everyone appeared to be mildly shocked as they stared at her. One of the elders stood up, pushing her chair outwards so that it was just barely touching the wall behind her position. "Tsunade," she began, looking at the current Hokage with seriousness dancing in her aged eyes like fire. "Naruto is naught but a child. He cannot understand the Kyuubi's fearful power... or that he'll end up hurting those dear to him. We are simply implying that you talk to the young man... and inform him that he is no longer able to carry out any more missions. He... needs to be monitored at all times."

Tsunade felt like she had just been dealt a slap to the face. How could she possibly do that to Naruto? The kid would be crushed and hurt. Hell, any ninja would if they were told they could no longer participate in any assignments. This was absurd!

"You're underestimating him. Naruto is strong... and I know you can see that, but he doesn't need to be put on a leash... he can handle this. I know he can."

The old woman sighed and sat back down from her standing position. She clasped her hands together on top of the round table and Tsunade could tell that changing her mind wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"This is for the safety of the village, _Hokage-sama_. If Akatsuki attacks, we can immediately know of Naruto's whereabouts, thus ensuring both his safety and that of our people... and we can prevent any attacks made on Konoha from them."

Tsunade sighed. She was defeated. Now it was up to her to tell Naruto. She could picture his bewildered expression and it was almost painful. She quickly dismissed the meeting and went to her office.

Shizune greeted her with a worried expression and was ushered to go find Naruto as fast as possible. It was obvious to the kunoichi that Tsunade felt upset about something and set off, in search of Naruto.

Tsunade seated herself and resisted the urge to bring out her secret sake. She was hoping, no, _wishing with all her heart_ that Naruto wouldn't over react, but it _was_ Naruto... and he could be fairly unpredictable...

_**Continued in chapter two!**_


	2. Why me?

Author Note: Thanks a bunch to those that reviewed! Once again, I'd like to hear any comments you've got or any suggestions, it would be extremely appreciated. The next update will most likely come early, as school is about to start (sigh) and I'm leaving the city yet again for another four day trip. Anyways, here is the second chapter of Darkside! Don't forget to review! Enjoy!

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_**Darkside**_

**Why me?**

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Naruto was feeling rather grumpy today. Sakura had stormed into his living quarters, screaming something about training. And on the first day he could sleep in too! Following a few short hours of (in his opinion) boring training exercises, Naruto wandered away in search of Jiraiya to get some _real_ _training_ done.

Of course, he happened to come across both him _and_ Kakashi. It looked to him as if they were discussing something significant. _Probably that stupid perverted novel or something_, Naruto assumed. Nevertheless, he interrupted them, demanding ramen and, without forgetting, he also added that training was important too. Jiraiya had blinked, not giving into his demands at all but Naruto simply stated that he would tell everyone that he was a big pervert (even though he told many that he was over the years). It had worked!

They were just about to start when Shizune showed up with Ton-Ton in tow. All thoughts of training fled Naruto's mind. Maybe old lady Tsunade finally had a mission for him? So, with those thoughts circulating through his head, Naruto had set off without Shizune even mouthing a word.

The two adults watched the blond's retreating form and found it hard not to smile. When the only indication that Naruto ran off was a cloud of dissipating dust, Shizune turned to Jiraiya and informed him about the prospect of Naruto no longer participating in missions. The happy atmosphere had dropped immediately.

Grinning brightly, oblivious as to what Tsunade's true intentions were for calling on him, Naruto entered the old building that each Hokage had worked in prior to the tragic ending they each received.

Naruto casually strolled through hallways he knew he would never forget. With both his hands resting behind his head, a comfortable habit he liked, the energetic blond stepped in front of Tsunade's office. He could hear incoherent mumbling but decided to pass it off and barged through the wooden door, too excited about his 'possible' next mission to notice the sad and somewhat distant look in the Hokage's eyes.

"Old lady Tsunade! I knew you'd have a good mission for me sooner or later! What took you so long?"

Naruto knew something was wrong the instant he saw no eye twitching or scowling coming from the leader of Konohagakure. She _always_ did something when he addressed her like that... but why not this time?

"Naruto," Tsunade said in a frightening voice. "Please... take a seat." She motioned to the only other chair in the room besides her own. Naruto quickly sat down, afraid of how _calm_ and _non-angry_ Tsunade was being.

"Uhm... uhh...?"

"Naruto... there is something important we need to talk about..." She entwined her hands together and placed them under her chin, leaning forward and making direct eye contact with the blond. "But... you need to understand the situation first. The council has decided.."

"_Hokage-sama!_"

Shizune burst through the door, a habit she picked up ever since she settled in Konoha. Naruto spun around and wondered what was going on while Tsunade mentally thanked her friend for barging in at the right moment.

"What is it... Shizune?"

"An important businessman has a most excellent deal for Konoha! He needs a group of escorts as soon as possible! This... is extremely important!"

Tsunade sighed in relief; however, it only managed to confuse Naruto even more. He blinked, dumbfounded, and tried to register everything. _What's going on here?_

Tsunade turned to Naruto, a small smile gracing her lips. "Naruto... I want you to go on this mission. Go round up Hinata and Kiba as well, they will accompany you. This will be a simple mission, you'll have to live with that."

Naruto let a small smirk surface. Though disappointed, his day completely in ruin, and the mission a piece of crap, it was still better than nothing. "_Awww!_ Can't you give me anything... better? _Please?_"

"_No!_ Now, hurry up before I hand this mission over to someone else!"

"Old lady Tsunade, you would never do anything like that... ne?" Naruto looked innocently at the Hokage. He knew she wasn't kidding, but perhaps this time she was?

Tsunade's right eye twitched in an uncontrolled manner. She glared daggers at the blond and grit her teeth.

"_Naruto!_"

In a flash of orange, black and yellow, Naruto exited the room as if his life depended on leaving (and in this case it very well did). He left Tsunade behind, who was now a very angry woman yet she couldn't help but smile.

Naruto had such a weird effect on people.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

The forest was incredibly thick. Dark green leaves annexed to thick branches moved in a hypnotic fashion back and forth. The dense foliage blocked out most of the sun, allowing life to flourish in the cooler temperatures the sweet shade offered.

Birds chirped happily to one another as the quiet hum of insects filled the air. The forest was calm and peaceful yet... it was place of danger at the same time. And to those traveling through, it was most certainly a place to be on the look out for anything.

Not many highly important people cared (or even _dared_) to venture through the forest outside the boundaries of Konohagakure. Gangs of unwanted thieves were constantly looking for new victims and anyone who was wealthy decided to stay at home. But to those who didn't care, they hired escorts. Naruto, Hinata and Kiba were now a group of those said ninjas.

"Where the _hell_ is this guy?" Naruto asked loudly. The question was more directed towards the forest than his team mates. His answer was a small group of neatly dressed men making their appearance down the path Naruto, Hinata and Kiba were currently traveling on. "Hey! Look... it's them! _Finally_!"

"Way to state the obvious..." Kiba muttered from his spot to the left of Naruto, perched comfortably on Akamaru.

The blond simply ignored Kiba's remark and ran ahead, waving towards the approaching men. He was amazed at how organized and professional they looked. A question sprouted in his mind but before he could say anything Kiba, who had caught up to the blond, announced who they were.

"Konoha's finest, _I hope_," was the gruff reply Kiba received from the taller of the group. This had to be the important person, his appearance just screamed that he was.

"Oh, you bet!" Naruto reassured happily. He scratched the back of his head and smiled.

"T-this way... p-please." All eyes turned to Hinata, who hadn't spoken a word yet. Her cheeks were instantly stained with an obvious blush as she directed her eyes down the trail nervously.

The businessman nodded his head and began to follow them, his steps perfect and well practiced. All of the other men, four to be exact, had stationed themselves on either side of their boss, each holding a leather bag most likely filled with business papers. _Hee, hee. More paperwork for the old lady!_ Naruto thought childishly.

They were about twenty minutes away from Konohagakure when Naruto began to complain. He was quickly silenced by Kiba, who smacked him roughly over the head, followed by a few _woof, woof's_ from Akamaru. Hinata began to worry over the person she had silently observed as a child but Naruto just smiled and continued to look out for any possible danger lurking in the forest.

After dealing with an annoying noiseless period of time that lasted the entire trip and small amounts of complaining from Naruto, the escort group finally made it back to Konohagakure. They were still alive and well, even though all three of the leaf-nin suffered from immense headaches. It had been an uneventful trip indeed.

They lead the businessmen to one of the best inns Konoha had to offer and were very happy that at last their mission was over. Kiba urged them to report back to the Hokage (much to Naruto's dismay, he wanted ramen first) and within ten minutes they were standing perfectly straight, their stance one of respect (though Naruto preferred to slouch to the side), facing Tsunade.

"Well done," she complimented. "You are all dismissed now... it's good to see you all working so well together." Tsunade waved them off, her eyes closed, a smirk painted on her lips.

Hinata and Kiba left the room silently, both glad (and anxious) to get out of the muggy room. Naruto beamed before he too turned to leave, however, Tsunade stopped him.

She couldn't keep this from him forever.

"Naruto... may I have a word with you?"

That caught his attention. Usually such kind words were never exchanged between the two but they never hated each other. Being formal never came easy for the two of them, especially when they spoke to one another.

"Hm?"

"Sit down." Tsunade watched Naruto sit, slouching lazily so that his back rested against the chair. It was time to tell him everything. _Oh God, I can't take this anymore!_ This was it!

The Hokage reached into the bottom right drawer of her desk and withdrew her secret sake. Pouring it out rather quickly, the older of the two downed the drink then looked at Naruto as if nothing ever happened. She smirked only to find the guilt rising in her heart at a fast rate and felt seriousness playing on her expression.

"Naruto... I completely argued against this... but.."

The curious blond leaned forward in his chair. He could sense something troubling. _What is with everything today?_ _What was wrong? Why is everyone acting so... so weird? _Naruto studied Tsunade with his bright eyes as she inhaled sharply and braced herself for what was coming next, though he had no clue as to what it was.

"The council, as well as the elders... have decided against me in a very... troubling matter." She paused, pouring herself more sake and downing it within mere seconds. "They... want to exclude you from going on any missions... starting today."

Naruto fell back into his chair, visibly shocked and wounded. He was being excluded from missions? How?_ But why would they want to do that?_ Only one word managed to escape through his pursed lips.

"Why?"

"Naruto... please... please don't get too upset. The council is very..."

"_Why?_"

Tsunade looked away. She felt bad for him... really, really bad. He had been shunned from everything since childhood because of the Kyuubi. This was just too much for her to handle. Instead of reaching for her sake, Tsunade sighed and answered his question.

"The Kyuubi... the council members and elders want to keep an eye on it. Naruto... they fear that the seal on you is weakening... you could cause a lot of.."

"So I'm just a monster again, huh?"

"They fear that Akatsuki will come after you very soon... and with you under watch you can be protected against any attack. Please... Naruto... this is for.."

"_Fine_. If that's the case then I'll just have to do more training! That way, I'll get Sasuke back a lot sooner, I can prove to everyone that I'm _not_ untrustworthy, and I can protect _everyone_!"

Tsunade looked directly at Naruto, shocked and dumbfounded. She could see anger and hurt dancing in his eyes yet he looked happy. She smiled and thanked him for understanding.

Naruto left quickly, complaining of an empty stomach. Tsunade looked around the room and sighed. She put her sake away, no longer craving it. Her eyes wandered to the windows behind her, the entire clutter of buildings creating Konoha spreading out for miles greeting her eyes. Off to the side she noticed a black, orange and yellow blur headed towards his favorite ramen venue.

She closed the blinds that hung above the windows and sat back down, placing her head in her hands. Everything was turning out to be great. A _great big mess_, that was.

Tsunade sighed, once again, facing the chair Naruto had been occupying moments ago. His words were sincere and yet they held so much hidden pain.

"_So I'm just a monster again, huh?_"

Tsunade closed her eyes briefly before Shizune burst through the door, immediately asking questions, informing her of new missions, and held a _huge_ stack of papers in her arms. _Great. More paperwork. _

Would the day ever come to an end?

_**Continued in chapter three!**_


	3. Bad Vibes

Author Note: Whooo! Thank you everyone for your awesome reviews! As promised, this has been updated earlier and I apologize for any mistakes, my time is limited with school now taking over my life and whatnot. Also! This is a special chapter because originally it was supposed to be short and so was chapter four so I decided to just cram them both together and BAM! you get a super chapter! I must also note that **there is an evil surprise in the next chapter!** But! Enough jibber jabber! Enjoy and don't forget to review ;)

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_**Darkside**_

**Bad vibes**

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Warm, luminous sun rays trespassed through the windows of Naruto's home. They light the entire residence up, giving all of his newly purchased plants one of the things they required most. Everything stood at a stand still, completely silent. Well... everything _had_ been silent until Naruto began to snore. Loudly.

Enjoying his first real sleep in a couple days, the ambitious blond continued to remain in his dozing state. Outside, the rest of Konoha continued with activities that were carried out at the same time every day, same place, same everything. It was late morning as Naruto slept on and the day shortly slipped into mid-afternoon.

Normally, Konoha was a decent place to live, with decent weather and excellent living conditions. Today tough, the weather was _not_ decent nor excellent. It was blistering hot with absolutely no wind. Most people ignored the temperature, but it was almost too unbearable once the day grew older.

Safely sprawled out and still snoring, Naruto was unaffected by the cruel temperatures. The sun only made him become overwhelmed with more drowsiness; he was completely oblivious to the world, even the quiet footsteps that neared his door.

Naruto's snoring drowned out a rusty noise as the hinges of his door moved and two figures stepped inside. His solid wooden floor created only a few _creaking_ noises as two pairs of feet gradually made their way towards his asleep form.

Had the blond been up any earlier, he would have immediately identified the stealthy intruders. Unfortunately, he was sound asleep, refusing to wake up; however, as the two unidentified forms neared, one of the floor boards broke through Naruto's loud snoring with a deafening _creak_!

Confused yet managing to bring himself awake, Naruto blinked several times as he attempted to force the intruding fog from eyes to a far away place. The two figures, now standing above him, were very unfocused with black blotches dancing around them at random.

_Oh no!_ He thought as his mind raced. _It's the enemy!_

Naruto sprang upwards without warning, arms flailing everywhere. His left hand managed to smack one of the 'enemies' in the face. The now injured one had only been trying to figure out how a person could sleep through such intense weather while the second merely laughed when Naruto had made his accidental attack.

Who were these people? What did they want from him?

The blond calmed down temporarily. He noticed that somehow he had ended up sleeping on the floor. _How did that happen?_ Next, Naruto's attention was diverted to a very angry person standing over him. _And why is Sakura-chan here and looking at me with flames in her eyes?_

"_NARUTO!"_

Sakura's fist was raised in front of her face for a few short seconds before it came crashing down on Naruto's head, nearly sending him back to sleep.

"S-Sakura-chan...?"

"Idiot! Look what you did to my face!" Sakura pointed to her swollen cheek but the only thing Naruto could stare at was the floor. Man, she was getting to be just as scary as the old hag!

"Sakura, I really think you need to enlist yourself into anger management classes," commented Ino, who stood with her arms crossed and sporting a smirk. She took her position beside Sakura and looked down at Naruto. "Come on, get up, we're going training."

"Mmmmmmrph, mmmmrph, mmmmmrph..."

The medic ninja pulled Naruto up using the collar of his shirt and dodged more flailing arms. She frowned and gave her friend a warning glare.

"Nobody is here to train with us, they're all out on missions. Get ready, we're going to start soon." Sakura paused, fixing Naruto with one of her very convincing yet very frightening glares. "Unless... you don't want to?"

The now awake blond waved his hands in front of himself in worry. "O-of course Sakura-chan! I... uhhhh... just need to eat something first..."

Ino closed her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently. "Hurry up then! You remind me of Chouji and that's _not_ a good thing!"

Naruto quickly put on his orange and black jacket, which only made both kunoichi gawk. How could he wear that outside _and_ train? They both had the same thoughts of 'has he gone mental?' running through their heads as Naruto gathered his belongings from around his small home.

"Come on! Let's go!"

"Where does he get that energy from?" Ino mumbled as they filed out of the crowded residence.

"That's Naruto for ya..."

The kunoichi sighed as Naruto ran ahead, sputtering out incoherent words, he was too far away from them to understand. Sakura assumed it had something to do with the lack of breakfast. The idiot had forgotten!

Without bothering to catch up, Ino and Sakura made their way through the maze of buildings, knowing where every street, alleyway and path went. Even at a walking pace they managed to beat Naruto to the greatly used training grounds. Where did he go now?

A couple bushes began to shake off in the distance. Naruto strolled towards Sakura and Ino, one hand scratching the back of the mop of golden hair he sported while the other held onto a rather large rice ball. He greeted them with a sheepish smile and laughed lightly with a mouth full of his quick fix know as breakfast.

"Heee. I couldn't help myself."

"Whatever, as soon as you're done we'll start," Sakura said as she slid a worn backpack off her shoulders and carefully placed it on the ground.

Untying a tightly secured flap that had protected her items for years, Sakura dug around in the leather carrier, withdrawing three dangerously glistening kunai. She place them safely away in the satchel attached to her hip and faced Naruto, who had just finished his considerably small amount of food.

"Let's start!"

"Uhhh, Sakura-chan," Naruto interjected. "What exactly _are_ we doing this time?"

Ino went to answer but she didn't even know that herself. Sakura had made a surprise appearance at her flower shop, insisting that she come train with her. No missions had sprang up, the shop was lacking customers and she needed something to do. So what exactly was going to happen today?

"Why not improve our fighting skills? We all need more practice with combat than anything. Plus," Sakura held up her right index finger and stated in a matter-of-fact way, "Tsunade-sensei says that an important mission is going to take place soon and I want to be ready for it."

Naruto's eyes lit up. _An important mission? _He _had_ to go on it! It was time to prove that council wrong, that he could do anything he put his mind to!

"Really Sakura-chan?"

"Yes. Now come on, we're wasting.."

A cloud of smoke surrounded the kunoichi as Naruto sprinted towards Tsunade's office. They hadn't even started and already Naruto was gone!

Sakura sighed heavily, hanging her head low and mumbling loud enough for Ino to comprehend what she was saying.

"Why did I even bother opening my big mouth...?"

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Naruto ran quickly towards the Tower of Fire, adrenaline acting like magic to fuel his high speeds. While racing down narrow streets filled with shopping villagers and those just out for the fun of it (even on a scorching hot day), the blond received several confused stares. A fairly large cloud of dust flung up behind him, leaving everyone in his wake coughing or shielding their eyes.

Tsunade _had_ to grant him permission for that important mission! It wasn't fair that he was the only one being cast aside by some stupid council. How could he accomplish his dream of becoming Hokage if everyone constantly prevented him fry trying to show that he could be strong enough for such a title?

Closer now, the building seemed to be. Naruto approached it with such haste that he even surprised himself. The doors came into view but the blond was already standing in front of Tsunade's office before he realized that he was inside the building.

Muffled voices came from behind the wooden door, preventing the blond from overhearing any of a serious sounding conversation. He cared not about what was being spoken, but he _did_ care about that important mission Sakura had talked about. He could really prove himself if went along!

"That's enough!" Came Tsunade's scary lady voice. Naruto became interested with what lay beyond the door and fought the temptation to press his ear against the wooden surface and listen.

"Tsunade," a different voice rose loudly. "You clearly don't understand the situation." The blond immediately noted how old and forceful the other person was just by the their voice. What was going on in there?

The doorknob appeared to be mocking him as if it was saying "I dare you, go see what they're talking about!" Naruto shook his head, forgetting all temptations. He settled for resting comfortably against the wall opposite of Tsunade's office, his arms crossed loosely over his chest. _I guess it couldn't hurt to wait..._

Both voices tuned down, regaining the previous muffled seriousness. Naruto quickly found himself growing bored, the only thing keeping him there was his strong powered determination. What could be taking them so freakin' long?

"You can't be so hard on Naruto!"

Tsunade's voice was strong with an undertone of warning mingled in it. So their conversation was about him, then? _Hmm... _Without caring why they were arguing about him (though he could probably guess, and correctly at that), Naruto stood up and burst through the door in a manner quite comparable to Shizune.

"Old lady Tsunade!" He barged in, eyes wide as he bounded excitedly towards the Hokage, all the while noticing the strange, cold looks a wrinkled old woman was giving him. "Sakura-chan said there's an important mission coming up! I want to go!"

The former Hokage was shot a sharp glare from the woman sitting in front of her. Naruto didn't miss it as he continued to wait patiently for an answer.

Tsunade waved towards the cold woman with her right hand. "You're dismissed." She received a glare full of warning and frigid coldness before the oldest out of everyone present left. The room became quiet, but not for long. Not with Naruto in it.

"I'll do my best and.."

"Naruto, I _can't_ allow you to go on that mission." She watched the ambitious blond's hope plummet. "However..."

"You'll let me go, old lady Tsunade?"

The woman who possessed incredible strength felt her eye twitch. A wicked plan took form in her mind as a few seconds of silence passed between the two ninja. She smirked in a way that caused Naruto to take several steps backwards, away from her paper cluttered desk.

"You can go _but_... on one condition."

Naruto was too afraid of what it might be to answer.

"You have to _promise_ to _never, ever_ call me 'old' or anything like that _again_. Have I made myself clear enough for you to understand?"

Frowning at such a proposal but too happy to care, Naruto agreed. He went to leave except Tsunade stopped him, scolding the blond for not even caring about what the mission was.

"Well, what is it then?"

Tsunade sighed, turning in her chair to stare out the big windows that displayed Konoha beautifully. "You, along with two others, are to guard a very important figure that is allied with Konohagakure. This may seem like an easy mission, but don't be deceived. There is a _very_ high threat of your team being attacked by dangerous ninja while making your way to the desired destination." Her facial expression hardened. "Go fully prepared. Also, I'm assigning Shikamaru and Sakura to this mission. It'll take place after tomorrow. Good luck."

Naruto smiled brightly in a way like no other. This was going to be awesome! With a very short 'thank you', though it was half assed, and promising he would "never call old lady Tsunade old again," Naruto bounded off to tell Sakura the news.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Everything was completely silent from within an occupied apartment flat. The temperature was perfect, though unbalanced at times when the crisp night air flowed through the building via an opened window.

Curtains, each stationed on either side of the crystalline glass and dyed yellow, billowed every time a gust of wind passed by. The quiet sound of moving fabric mingled with the chorus of crickets outside created a dream-like atmosphere. Moonlight pooled through the window and illuminated everything inside the apartment with a heavenly glow.

Wooden floor boards _creaked_ softly under the luminous moonlight. As if the light was tainted with poison, a shadow wandered carefully across it and immediately went for the darkness lingering near a well used fridge.

Yellow light spilled over a figure leaning forwards in a zombie-like manner. Naruto rubbed his eyes, not quite managing to drive away the fog that prevented him from seeing clearly. Reaching into his fridge, the tired blond grabbed for one of his many milk cartons and drank straight from it before placing it back, letting out a loud yawn.

He couldn't sleep, it was impossible. Nothing was capable of forcing his eyes to close, though he managed to stumble into a light nap, only to be wide awake once more. He was clueless regarding what time of the night now floated around him but the sky outside was beginning to lighten.

It was already almost morning! _No way!_

Groaning loudly, Naruto hauled himself towards his open window and was assaulted with the crisp night breeze. It caused his golden hair to sway almost hypnotically back and forth as his skin savored the cool feeling the breeze brought.

Naruto's hands found themselves on the windowsill, gripping it strongly. With one quick jump the blond pulled himself out the window, flipping into the air gracefully, then landed on the apartment roof (Naruto realized that it should probably be repaired sometime soon) and succeeding in waking up no one.

From up above, Naruto could smell the moisture that hung in the air and could feel small droplets of dew sliding underneath his bare feet. The moisture clung to him like glue, making him feel damp but Naruto didn't mind at all. He sat down slowly, taking in all of a slumbering Konoha with his brilliant blue eyes.

The village really looked different at night...

"_What!"_ Naruto let his eyes flutter shut, Sakura's voice from earlier echoing through his mind. _"We're both going?"_

"_How come _I'm_ not going?"_ Ino had said, crossing her arms as anger took over her expression. _"I _always_ get left behind! And what do you mean by 'Shikamaru is coming along? He isn't even here..."_

Naruto smiled to himself, pulling his knees towards his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs. The crisp breeze ruffled his shining mop of golden hair and in no time he found himself wavering close to sleep, not taking into account that he was falling asleep on a _roof_ off all places.

Opening his eyes once more, enjoying the feel of moonlight on his face, Naruto absorbed the beauty of Konoha at peace. After finally deciding that he should go back inside, the now sleepy blond headed back into his home, going straight for his bed.

The mattress was comforting, persuading Naruto to fall asleep faster. No objections arose and soon the blond collapsed into a peaceful dark place, still trying to contain his happiness of going on that mission.

Yet he couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen...

**_Continued in chapter four!_**


	4. Danger and dread

Author Note: New update! Whoo! All the awesome response this story has received is just wonderful! I can't thank whoever has been reviewing enough, this really helps getting me on a roll, seriously. Updates are now back to normal and after much hassle (my internet was out for two days, then fanfiction wouldn't work) I have managed to get this up! Hurray! Anyways, thanks once again to those of you that reviewed, added this to their favorites, and put this on alert! Keep 'em coming!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Danger and dread**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Water dripped loudly. _Drip. Drip. Drip. _The air tasted stale, as if it hadn't been used and merely left to rot. _Drip. Drip. Drip. _Absolutely no light could be seen, the darkness here was so strong that not even the sun itself could penetrate it. _Drip. Drip. Drip._ It had to be some sort of entrapment, this place.

_Drip._

Cold, rusted pipes decorated the roof, most of which looked overused and broken. Above them could have been the actual ceiling, but had an appearance more like that of a never ending black hole. Most of the dripping water came each of the broken pipes but also came from the walls, as if it was oozing out.

Hands made pale from the darkness clung to the cold, wet gray cement walls as a form of guidance. More water _drip, drip, dripped_ while the hands shook from the frigid coldness of the walls, yet they never left.

Naruto, pallid and shivering, maneuvered his way carefully down the main hallway. He didn't know exactly _where_ he was, but it seemed hauntingly familiar. The walls, noises and pipes were unforgettable now that he thought about it.

He was in _that_ place again.

One thing, Naruto noticed, was that before there was never a great amount of darkness. He couldn't even see five feet in front of him now! He did have his moments of stupidity, sure, but Naruto wasn't fooled. He _knew_ something was wrong.

Like every time before this, the blond felt himself being dragged towards a certain cage, guided down narrow and unlit hallways. Naruto couldn't understand how it was possible for him _not_ to run dead-smack into any of the walls or corners. While being guided, he noticed that his feet weren't even moving –at least not under his control. He was paralyzed, or something close to it.

"What's going on here?" His voice echoed, bouncing off the walls and making his head hurt.

Naruto squinted his eyes, just barely making out the seemingly endless amount of hallways and corners that were up ahead. Suddenly, all sensations of being shock-still paralyzed came to a halt and the blond tripped forwards, too confused by the entire situation to do anything.

_Splash!_

Something dropped down from behind Naruto. His eyes widened considerably and his entire body became rigid. He felt afraid, frozen once more, and vulnerable. What was going to happen to him?

More splashing in the water indicated that whoever, whatever it was would be upon Naruto very soon. The blond realized that he was shaking –terribly– and tried to fight his fear desperately. It worked.

Naruto, slowly but moving nonetheless, turned around. He _tried_ to scream but nothing left his throat as a figure, surrounded by vivid red chakra, lunged for his heart. Terrible, terrible darkness overcame him within seconds...

Small droplets of cold sweat beaded his forehead as he sprang awake, caught in a silent scream. Naruto wheezed for air, the taste of the stale atmosphere from before clinging wildly to his dry mouth. Shaking his head, the blond stood up and relaxed, upon realizing that his room was semi-bright and warm feeling.

Laying back, Naruto let out a sigh of relief. _It had only been a dream..._

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Multiple thick, silky woven threads sparkled as iridescent as the morning sun as a lone spider wove a brand new web. The glowing ball of fire sent down brilliant rays that broke through leafy branches of trees surrounding Konohagakure, allowing all the dew stricken vegetation to glisten almost magically. The air was warm, the sun bright and wonderful. Today was going to be great.

Inside his messy living quarters, Naruto was beginning to stress himself out. There were too many things to bring along! Before settling with the usual stuff-everything-in-a-small-backpack, Naruto made up his mind, and quickly. He was going to be late if he didn't hurry!

Grabbing six instant ramen containers from his deranged kitchen, only a few articles of clothing that had been tossed lazily around his room and finally, an array of sharp weaponry. Naruto carefully (but quickly) packed them away. With a full stomach and one of his infamous grins, the blond double checked his home, locked the door and then headed straight for the village gates.

Houses, stores, food places and the villagers all became nothing but a blur as Naruto headed to the meeting place Shikamaru had picked out upon returning to Konoha late last night. The cloud loving ninja had been mumbling something about how 'troublesome' the previous mission was. Naruto almost forgot that Shikamaru himself could be troublesome, but he was a good leader nonetheless.

Just barely avoiding a collision with a burly looking man, Naruto decided that rooftop hopping was much easier... and safer. Switching his route (only for a few seconds) all worries of bumping into people fled. From above, he got a perfect few view of the large gates, as well as two small figures standing at the bottom of them. Shikamaru and Sakura were probably about to leave!

"I'm _so_ late!"

Several rooftops and a fair amount of jumping later, Naruto arrived, panting from all the hurrying he had to endure over the course of the morning and rapidly slurred out a mass amount of apologies. Sakura was slightly confused, staring blankly at Naruto as he said 'sorry' so many times that he was running quite low on breath, and fast. Shikamaru sighed, placing a hand on his bare forehead.

"Naruto, you are _very_ troublesome."

"I said _I'm sorry!_ I didn't mean to be late!"

"Naruto," this time it was Sakura speaking. "You're not late, so just calm down already."

The blond stopped his mindless babble, instantly grinning sheepishly before he turned towards the forest surrounding Konohagakure. "Alright! Let's go!"

Sakura smiled as Shikamaru sighed... again. He had just got a break from the chunin exam committee... what a way to celebrate it. Not wasting any time, both ninja followed after Naruto, who was looking out for the apparently important person.

The trees quickly went by as they proceeded through the wide spread forest, Naruto leading them confidently. It was normal for him to do that, Shikamaru pointed out to himself, even if he _wasn't_ the team leader. Only an hour, perhaps even less, went by before the forest gave away to a lusciously green meadow.

As that was when their mission officially began.

Ten yards away, a small gathering of people waited patiently. Most of them were clad in armor of some sort and brandished hand crafted katanas. In the middle, from what the three ninjas could see from their perch in a large tree, was a very rich and royal looking man.

Shikamaru glanced sideways, fully expecting Naruto to be on the same branch as him but found that he had disappeared. He should have known Naruto would take off... how troublesome...

"Oi! Old man!" Shouted the blond as he neared the 'old' person they had been sent to guide. Naruto was immediately surrounded by guards, katanas aimed threateningly towards his throat. "Wait!" Naruto waved his hands up in defense. "I'm not dangerous! Honestly!"

Sakura and Shikamaru came up from behind the guards. The pink-haired kunoichi sighed as Naruto smirked one of his Naruto smirks.

"It's okay, he's with us," Shikamaru said. The guards were bewildered, unsure of who the three ninja obviously from Konoha wanted or why they just came out of nowhere. Shikamaru noticed this and smirked himself. 'We're ninja sent here to ensure your safety across this land."

One of the guards lowered his deadly blade, confused. "But why would we need your.."

"I thank you for your services," came a wise yet not so young voice. The guards immediately dropped their dangerous weapons, apologizing and bowing slightly out of respect.

The 'old' man laughed. He was dressed in silk garbs that were midnight blue with golden leaves delicately stitched to the collar and cuffs of the top article of clothing. His hair was graying but still held its natural vibrant brown locks. A few wrinkles were visible on his face and he sported kind, dark eyes.

"My name is Kashikoi. I'm very pleased to meet you." He offered the three ninja from Konohagakure a soft smile. "Now, shall we get going?"

Everyone, including the guards, nodded in agreement. As they made their way towards the thick forest ahead, Shikamaru instantly knew why they were sent as guards. The ones wielding katanas were about as nervous and paranoid as a hunted animal.

_Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. _

Sakura and Shikamaru kept watch from the trees once the party of cautiously moving people entered the forest. Naruto remained at the front of the guards and their superior. He walked casually while keeping an eye out for any enemies. The blond managed to confuse the guards further. How was it possible for him to act so calm and... carefree? This place was dangerous!

The forests were often home to bandits that showed no mercy. Even strong guards had been taken out, some left for dead. People such as Kashikoi who were wealthy and important to the business world were often sought out and basically killed for the money and reputation they withheld.

Both leaf-nin moving through the trees each had a very useful radio attached to the side of their head. Exchanging information across the wide path that separated them was made easy. Also, Naruto was equipped with a radio of his own, though he didn't have much to share.

"No sign of anything yet," Shikamaru noted as he jumped off a branch and on to another. "But still keep an eye out for danger. The bandits have shown a lot of activity lately."

"I think I've spotted something!" The radio blared with Sakura's voice. "It looks like three... no! Wait! There's five people in total!"

"Naruto?" Asked Shikamaru through his headset.

"I hear ya, loud and clear!"

"Keep a close watch on Kashikoi, he's probably in the most danger at the moment."

"Roger!"

Shikamaru glanced from side to side. His observant eyes caught sight of five shadows nearing them from the left. Sakura had been correct. He hoped that they could be taken care of easily. But bandits were fierce and unpredictable... they would have to be careful.

Naruto, now alert more than usual, watched the thick vegetation for any signs of an attack. Kashikoi and his men followed Naruto like a flock of geese while they too stayed on edge. A few guards began to shake, having overheard the radio conversation.

"_Naruto!"_ Sakura screamed, making the blond's ears ring from it being transmitted through his headset loudly. "Watch out!"

Naruto, who had been looking towards Sakura, thinking she had been harmed, turned to face the path ahead. He only saw a flash of black metal before a kunai hit him directly in the head.

_**Continued in chapter five!**_


	5. Awaken the demon inside

Author Note: Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Evilness! I heart evilness. Typing has kept me occupied for the past few days... due to inability to talk... and eat... and sleep... I think the dentist can be thanked for that. Grrr. Also, I apologize for any spelling mistakes..let's just say I'm not exactly coherent or able to point things out too well at the moment. But alas! Here it is! Also, I'm going to give a big thanks to _Foggy Brains, Saraswati-Isis_, _Emeralde, Luvguurl, xXxLuna-the-ChosenxXx, Kai's Snowfall, yukikun336, IYKagome1506, DragonLady of Nerkila, TheAkatsukiiscoming, xcloudx, the wolf hanyou, and Chibi Strawberry _for reviewing and a super thanks to everyone that's even glanced at this! Here is chapter five at long last!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Awaken the demon inside**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Naruto could hear the blood pounding violently in his ears. Time slowed down drastically for the blond. Like a speeding bullet, and just as fast, the sharp kunai inched closer to Naruto, who could do nothing at all.

Quickly using his _Kage Bushin no Jutsu _was out of the question. Sakura yelled something and all Naruto could hear from Shikamaru was his dry voice breaking through the headset in a mess of static. He went to move so that at least it wouldn't hit his head, but it was too late for that now.

"_Naruto!"_

The kunai hit his head and... bounced off?

Naruto stumbled backwards, completely dumbfounded. His back connected with the rocky pathway and he looked up to see Sakura, Shikamaru and several guards all wearing worried expressions on their faces. Stiff from shock, Naruto forced himself up to stand and was immediately helped by Sakura.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking him over in case he actually was injured.

Naruto untied his forehead protector. He spotted a small dent directly underneath the leaf symbol; without it he would've been dead for sure. A warm hand checked his head for any wounds. Naruto gave one of his infamous smiles and assured Sakura that he was unharmed.

"I'm okay! Really, I am!"

"Damn it," a bitter cold voice cut in. "I thought ya would've been killed for sure." Obviously the leader of the bandits, the man who had spoken dropped down from the trees. "'O well, looks like we'll 'ave to do this the hard way. Eh, boys?"

On cue, four more figures appeared from their hiding places. They surrounded Kashikoi and his men, sneering cruelly as they drew specially forged shuriken and kunai.

"Finish these fools off, quickly now! Don't wanna keep me waiting!"

Naruto arched his back so he was standing up at his full height. He tied his forehead protector back on, glaring daggers at the leader of bandits. Snarling, he jumped forwards.

"I won't let you hurt these people!"

Shikamaru went to protest against his friend's actions but took the opportunity to trap the other bandits in his _Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu_. Sakura made mince meat out of them and protected the now shaking Kashikoi and his men from any attacks.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled towards the blond. "Be careful!"

Shikamaru, the leader of the three person team, sighed heavily. He continued to hold control over each bandit, calculating a way to get out of the forest and away from the threatening bandits without much trouble. Frankly, they had a great chance of escaping unharmed but Shikamaru knew not to take such a situation so lightly.

Naruto didn't give the leader any more than a few seconds to think. Pulling out a kunai with practiced movements, he lunged for the cocky bandit. His attack was blocked easily, as Naruto had predicted, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Heh. You can't take me out that easily, kid."

Naruto applied pressure on the kunai, which was being reflected by a replica that the scraggy man held forward. The blond pushed backwards, becoming airborne and landed perfectly on a thick tree branch. Making the proper hand signs, Naruto made two replicas of himself.

"Shadow clones, eh? Nice try, but those won't be working on me!"

The bandit brought out another kunai. He stared intently at Naruto, attempting to predict his moves (having been able to before) and frowned as the blond smirked as if he was about to do something only a smart ass would do. He hated smart assess.

Naruto clone number one jumped down from his perch, landing roughly on the ground, and on purpose too. He used a hand to balance himself, pushing off the rocky path but not before grabbing a handful of chalky dirt. Grinning, Naruto clone number one pretended to reach for a kunai and threw himself at the bandit. With everything working out perfectly, the clone hurled his hidden pile of dirt in the bandit's face, temporarily blinding him.

"What is this? I can't see!"

The second clone then left Naruto's side, quickly filling in the gap between him and a very angry ruffian. As the man clawed at his eyes, trying to rid them of dirt particles and clear his vision, the second clone appeared behind him without warning. Both clones nodded . The second one held the bandit in a death grip, refusing to let it's captive go.

"Hey! This isn't fair!" He began to struggle, even though Naruto's clone held a grip over him that was incredibly strong. "Talk about dirty _cheating!_"

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled in the distance, a glowing ball of concentrated chakra forming in the palm of his hand.

Naruto clone number one, who had been standing in front of the struggling man, vanished into a cloud of white smoke, blinding the now confused man even more. It took only a short amount of time for the smoke to clear but by then it was already too late.

"What? What's that? I can't see... _ahhhhhhhhhh!_"

_Rasengan_, not at it's usual power but powerful enough, roughly hit the bandit squarely in his stomach. Naruto clone number two became engulfed in smoke, allowing the man to connect directly with the trunk of a very tall, old tree.

Naruto approached cautiously, three shuriken held between each of his fingers on his left hand. The bandit coughed up blood, his body unable to move. When Naruto was standing directly in front of him, the severely wounded man lifted his head up slowly, a thin river of crimson flowing from his mouth.

"D-don't think you and yer friends are off the hook, kid," the man choked out between violent coughing. "Oh, it's only just started!" His attempt at laughing failed... miserably.

Naruto was confused. "Just what the hell do you mean 'it's only just started'?" He bent down and grabbed the bandit by his shirt made from rags. "Huh? Tell me!" He only received a half hearted chuckle in return, causing anger to swell from inside the blond's stomach. "What did you do?"

"Let's see, shall we?"

"_Naruto!"_ Came Sakura's voice from somewhere in the forest. Naruto hadn't realized how far he had been separated from the group (he obviously hadn't paid attention to the dead tone of the headset) and wished he was closer.

"What did you do to Sakura-chan?" Naruto snarled, the anger becoming more apparent and more controlling by the second.

"Heh. You 'spect me to tell ya that?"

"_Naruto!"_

The blond clenched his fists, realizing that he was now shaking from pure anger. Laughter filled the tense atmosphere but Naruto silenced the bandit with a single shot at his face with a tightly balled up fist. He spent no time waiting around and took off immediately.

Sounds of metal clashing with metal rang loudly throughout the forest as Naruto neared. He could make out several voices he did not recognize and picked up his speed, drawing forth all his strength and gripping the three shuriken he still held tighter. When the trees gave away to the path, Naruto caught sight of Shikamaru having a hard time driving away more bandits while Sakura fiercely protected Kashikoi alongside his trembling guards.

"Look," one of the bandits who had just arrived said to another. "That little lady sure puts up a good fight." He then pulled off a large shuriken that was attached to his back. "But can she survive against this?"

Naruto chose that moment to make his presence known. The bandit with the shuriken almost dropped his weapon as three sharp spinning stars were aimed in his general direction. He just barely dodged them and quickly caught on to Naruto's drive to protect one of his partners. He snickered manically.

Turning his back to Naruto (a very stupid move indeed, but he had temptations to kill after all), the bandit flung his weapon at Sakura, who was too concerned about Kashikoi's welfare to notice the shuriken spinning towards her. Naruto tried to jump in the way but he was too late. Sakura had been hit.

"Sakura-chan!"

Shikamaru finished off one of the troublesome bandits with his _Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu_ and turned towards all the commotion just as Sakura was hit directly in her left arm by a rather large shuriken. He took over the kunoichi's job as a body guard and let Naruto finish off any other bandits that dare tempt his anger any more.

"Are you okay Sakura-chan?" Naruto fended off another attack from the threatening bandits, then carefully checked his friend's injured arm.

The shuriken had his Sakura just below her shoulder plate. Blood stained her ninja outfit and the ripped skin tissue looked horridly swollen. The kunoichi smiled half heartedly before brushing herself off, ignoring her wound.

"I'll be fine."

Naruto had his head bowed down, his eyes shut tightly. His fists were clenched again and this time his anger took over completely. He could hear the bandits approaching and when he opened his eyes, the harsh men were faced with a whole different Naruto.

His eyes, once a brilliant blue, were now crimson. He had released _it_ again.

_**Continued in chapter six!**_


	6. The troublesome situation

Author Note: Hurray! Reviews! Thank you everyone! Now, what will happen to the one and only Naruto? Well, you'll be finding out in this chapter of course, and, let's say, a few other evil twists. Gosh, I love evil twists. Anyways, without any more babble, here is the next installment of Darkside! Whoo!

Free non-existent cookies for anyone that reviews!

**Wanted!**

**I am currently looking for a beta to help out with the working of this story! If you'd be interested, drop a line and I'll get back to you! Thanks!**

**Ahh! Spoiler alert! **_... To those of you that haven't read far into the manga, Naruto loses control of himself once four tails have formed in his chakra. Just thought I'd spoil that for you... though it's not really such a bad thing... it's important to know! Really!_

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**The troublesome situation**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_Flashback..._

Shikamaru sighed. What another boring day filled with nothing and, the worst of all... paperwork. The highly intelligent ninja absolutely detested paperwork, it was an abomination. Because of paperwork a one Nara Shikamaru currently found himself standing before Tsunade's desk.

Shoving both hands into his pockets, the exhausted man waited patiently (patiently in his opinion, anyways) with a slight frown creeping onto his lips. Tsunade read over the report he had to file out regarding the Chunin exams and finished as if she only read half of what he had written (and he assumed she had too).

"This looks decent. Shape up on your penmanship _before_ writing anything else." She smiled, chiding Shikamaru but he didn't seem to be very interested.

Shikamaru slouched, deciding that keeping his posture perfect was just too troublesome, even if he was standing before a highly respectable person. Oh well.

"Besides everything else, there is something I want you to do while on the next mission with Sakura and Naruto. I highly advise you pay attention this time, Shikamaru."

Sighing again, but this time mentally, the leaf-nin showed that he was all ears and expected to be lectured about safety or keeping the team together. However, as she began to explain, Shikamaru had to stop his superior mid-sentence.

"Wait, so this is about Naruto? What did he do this time?"

"This is serious!" She saw Shikamaru visibly flinch so she decided that calming down seemed like a perfect thing to do. "Yes, this is about Naruto. Something important, that you must be aware of."

"And that would be...?"

Tsunade folded her hands together on the surface of her desk, glancing at Shikamaru sternly, silently hoping he would understand. "Naruto has always been looked down upon his whole life, that I'm sure you know of. He has a very... powerful demon harbored within his body, allowing Naruto to have unique abilities. But... his chakra can become deadly and he can lose control of himself if he's reckless." She paused briefly.

"You need to make sure that doesn't happen, and I mean it." Tsunade reached into her desk and produced three seals, identical to the ones Jiraiya gave Kakashi.

Shikamaru reached for the three thing pieces of paper, scanning over the professionally painted symbols on them. He placed each in a small pocket inside his vest, hoping it wasn't necessary in the future to use them. It would be too troublesome.

"Use the seals on Naruto if the chakra surrounding him grows more than two tails. You will need to place each seal on his stomach with _extreme_ caution, I don't want to risk both his life or those of his teammates. Be careful..."

_Flashback ends..._

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Snarled Naruto, bearing his clenched teeth.

"It looks like we've got ourselves a little pest," the owner of the large shuriken sneered. He laughed mockingly, his shoulders shaking.

Shikamaru stood as if frozen in time. Naruto's chakra was so _powerful!_ He could feel it choking the air, crimson tendrils of astounding strength threatening to strangle everyone. Even his opponent, a bandit that could be comparable to fearsome, looked aghast. This was so unbelievable yet such a sight to behold.

Lipping off again, the bandit who had managed to injure Sakura and immobilizing her arm, was quickly cut off by a fist to his face. He was flung backwards, hitting the ground with a sickening _thud_ and knocked completely unconscious and shut off from the world around him.

"I _told_ you I wouldn't let you hurt my friends!"

Sakura stepped back, away from Naruto. The heel of her right foot connected roughly with a root of a near by tree, knocking her down. The grass cut her hands but she didn't care, she _couldn't _care. She had seen Naruto like this before but his powers had felt controlled back then, not monstrous and untamed.

"Naruto! I'm okay! Shikamaru is too, everything will be fine!"

The words left her mouth and dropped dead. Naruto must have heard them but showed no signs of recognition. A smile played on his lips, holding within it nothing but wickedness.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, I'll take care of everyone," he said in a voice that was his but not. The look in his stained eyes was alien, feeding the kunoichi's worry and fear.

"Looks like we've got trouble," one of the bandits sighed.

"Yeah, but we can take care of 'im, no sweat!" Another said.

"Right! Let's take this pest down!"

Multiple kunai, all aimed perfectly, were hurled at Naruto with great speed. The blond jumped upwards, dodging the sharp weapons and grabbed the one that had been meant for a head shot.

"Take this!" He snarled.

The kunai, now cutting air two times faster than what the bandit was capable of, pinned down one of the scraggy men within seconds of being thrown. Sharp metal pierced through his forearm, becoming quickly lodged between his flesh and the tree behind him. Unable to get away (and too afraid to move), the bandit fainted, finding his own blood unbearable to look at.

"Naruto," Sakura said cautiously, standing up to her full height. "I think we can take care of.."

"I said _I'll take care of everyone!_"

Sakura felt at a loss. She couldn't do anything unless she wanted to be forced into 'minding her own business' by Naruto. But there _was_ a way to get him under control. All that came in the form of Shikamaru and his jutsu. It _had_ to work!

"Shikamaru! Do something!"

"Your friend here won't be doing anything, little miss," the bandit that had the large shuriken scowled.

Shikamaru blocked an assault of kunai and shuriken. He couldn't properly get a hold on his opponent while he constantly moved about, but there was a way. However, Shikamaru couldn't even make the proper hand signs before Naruto took out the bandit mercilessly.

Naruto's chakra felt like scorching fire. Its intensity caused gooseflesh to appear on Shikamaru's arms as the ninja formulated a plan in his head. Then, growing right before his eyes, was the beginning of a new tail... a _third_ tail in the crimson chakra moving around Naruto.

"This is too troublesome!"

Sakura ran over to her teammates, each step causing her arm to ache with pain. She immediately noticed the feral look in Naruto's eyes and could feel how dangerous his chakra was becoming. She looked to Shikamaru and watched him quickly withdraw three thin slips of paper.

He threw the first and winced as it landed perfectly on Naruto's stomach. The blond let out a howl of pain and before Shikamaru had a chance to throw the second seal, Naruto's ever growing chakra lashed out at him in waves of crimson.

"Naruto! _Stop this!_" Sakura yelled as Shikamaru was flung like a rag doll into an ancient tree. Thankfully, the shadow jutsu user got back up, the last two seals ready to be used at any moment.

Crimson chakra flared out once again but Shikamaru dodged it, throwing the second seal and cursing under his breath as the chakra cut it in half. He had one more chance, but Naruto was now too far away.

"Sakura! Catch!"

The kunoichi caught the thin paper between her middle finger and ring finger easily. Naruto flinched in pain from the previous seal, his skin burning underneath his black and orange outfit.

"I'm sorry, Naruto!"

With a quick flick of her wrist, Sakura launched the seal as soon as Naruto turned around. It landed exactly where Shikamaru had aimed the first, causing the blond to double over in pain. He clutched his stomach and howled out, loud enough for the leaves to shake and the forest to echo.

Sakura sighed heavily, both worried and feeling extremely guilty.

_Did it work?_

**_Continued in chapter seven!_**


	7. Outcome of all things gone bad

Author Note: Whoo! Thank you to everyone that reviewed! As I mentioned last chapter, I'm searching for a beta... well, now I'm in a desperate need of a beta. Now with work (ewww, work) and school (ewww, school) I've got a small amount of time to edit (and I'm picky) between well, working, and writing up essays and all that lovely crap that comes with highschool. Anyways, if you're at all interested, please, please, please, please let me know, your help would be very appreciated. Now, enough babbling, here's the next chapter, review, but most importantly enjoy it! Hurray!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Outcome of all things gone bad**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Let them in."

Shizune nodded and stepped towards the wooden door, opening it via a well used doorknob. Three leaf-nin stepped forwards, all silent and concerned.

Tsunade sat across from them in her large desk, wondering how she could see them through the tall stacks of paper. She had called each of the ninja here because there was a feeling she was experiencing that told her not all was going well for Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura.

The three had left Konoha hours ago. It was a rather short mission, something Naruto himself was capable of completing in a mere three hours. But they had been gone longer than that. Something definitely _was_ wrong.

She remembered giving Shikamaru the seals used for forcing demons into submission and hoped they worked. The shadow jutsu ninja was smart, there was no way he'd just stand by as the Kyuubi practically took over Naruto. He would most likely have a plan formulated in case that happened.

"What exactly is this mission about?" The one with the weirdest eyes asked politely.

"Please," Tsunade said. "Take a seat." When four pairs of eyes, Shinzune's included, stared at her blankly, she coughed and twirled a lock of her golden hair. "Never mind. Now, I want you all to pay _very_ close attention! No slacking off!"

All three leaf-nin called to the Hokage's office stood up perfectly straight. "Yes Hokage-sama," they all said at the same time.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, eyeing them, trying to see if they were good enough for this mission. But she knew she shouldn't doubt their abilities.

"Neji, Lee, Hinata, the mission you are about to be sent on is the retrieval of Uzumaki Naruto." She registered their puzzled and shocked expressions. "You have exactly forty-five minutes to reach the area he was sent to with Shikamaru and Sakura. I am sorry to have pulled you all away from your missions, but this is _very_ important and Naruto's life may rest in your hands."

"Anything for Naruto-kun!" Lee spoke up, looking determined as usual.

"Alright, you're dismissed. Please hurry."

Tsunade gave the assembled team a map and a compass, vaguely showing them where to go. They left shortly after, on their way to find Naruto and his teammates.

Outside the tall office windows, a grave expression formed on Jiraiya's face. Naruto was definitely _not_ alright and if pressed to, the seal would release itself.

Disappearing, the frog summoner left to quickly pack a few things before he planned on beating Tsunade's team to Naruto. They would be too late and wouldn't know what to do with the situation anyways.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Naruto fell forwards, his face clashing with the bumpy ground. He could barely feel the sharp rocks cutting the soft flesh on his face; the pain in his stomach was out of this world.

His chakra began to dissipate, leaving him weak and confused. Strong power still surged through his veins, tempting him to get back up and fight, fight, fight, _fight_ with everything he was worth. His head throbbed and he felt dizzy, sickened by the power and the pain in his stomach.

Soil suffocated him temporarily before the taste of copper blossomed in his mouth. Naruto lifted his head and coughed out blood, moaning in pain and seeing double of everything. He was vaguely aware of someone walking up to him cautiously, as if he was some sort of terrifying fiend.

_What's happening?_

Sakura was afraid that perhaps the seals hadn't worked at all. What if all three seals were needed to be used and not just two? Her mind raced frantically as she dared herself to see if Naruto was alright.

The blond began to move, struggling to push himself up. Sakura wasn't the type of person that ignored people in turmoil and was instantly beside Naruto, helping him stand. Her hands became stained with droplets of crimson that spilled from the blond's palms but she kept herself steady and slung his arm over her shoulders.

"S-S-S-Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto! Are you feeling better? What happened?"

Answering questions seemed like something completely absurd. His vision was unable to focus no matter how hard he tried. The pain remained strong but Naruto didn't have the heart to notice. There was something else bothering him.

Crimson seeped in from the corners of his eyes. His body went limp and Sakura panicked, asking questions in a shaky voice.

_What's happening to me?_

"Sakura!" Came Shikamaru's voice from off in the distance. Naruto couldn't register where exactly he was located but his voice sounded so far away... "Drop Naruto! Now! Can't you see that chakra?"

The kunoichi dropped her friend (regrettably) and jumped backwards as powerful crimson tendrils of chakra lashed out at her. She heard Naruto begin to scream and went to ease his pain, obviously forgetting the chakra, but a strong hand grasped her by the wrist, holding her back.

"Shik...," she dropped his name upon realizing who it was and her facial expression fell. "You!" She ripped her hand away and pointed to a certain man with white hair. "What are you doing here?"

Jiraiya, ignoring Sakura, jumped in front of her, holding out a seal of his own. The kunoichi fell silent and Shikamaru neared cautiously as Jiraiya muttered a few incoherent words. He flicked the seal at Naruto with ease and was standing over him as his chakra finally disappeared.

"Oi! Naruto!" He reached down to turn him over (Naruto's face was implanted into the ground...again) and received no response from the blond. "Come on, kid!"

"We have arrived!"

A vortex of wind formed before Jiraiya and an unconscious Naruto. Lee, sporting his usual out-of-the-ordinary-weird clothing stepped forwards, Neji and Hinata jumping out of a near by tree moments later.

Hinata was clearly distressed, tired and worried about Naruto. She gasped at the sight of him still and unconscious and hurried to his side, but Jiraiya stopped her.

"Don't get too close, you don't want to be harmed."

"W-w-w-w-what did N-Naruto-kun do?"

"What's going on here?"

Everyone turned to an impatient looking Kashikoi and his men. Sakura briefly explained what had transpired to Lee, Neji, and Hinata. It was hard for them to understand, especially for the shier of the kunoichi.

"And you see," Sakura concluded. "We need to get Naruto back to Konoha but Kashikoi-sama still needs protection and the mission has yet to be completed."

"I'm taking Naruto back." Jiraiya lifted Naruto up and slung him over his back, careful not to awaken him or the crimson chakra. "The rest is up to you, good luck."

Everyone fell into an uncomfortable silence until Shikamaru sighed. "Things really got out of hand..." The others nodded and Sakura spared a glance in the direction Jiraiya had set off in towards Konoha.

_I hope Naruto is going to be okay..._

"I'll take the position of brave Naruto-kun!" Lee volunteered enthusiastically, raising his hand up in the air. "I promise I will do my absolute best!" He gave the 'nice guy' pose, a strong promise indeed.

"We'll report back to Hokage-sama," Neji said distantly, troubled over what he had just learned. Hinata nodded and they both headed straight for Konoha, worried about Naruto (though Neji would never admit it).

"Great. Now that everything has all worked out, let's go." Kashikoi signaled for his men to follow. "I do hope I'm still under your protection..."

Sakura frowned. This was _not_ worked out. Everything was _not _okay. She wondered how someone so respected and kind could be such an uncaring jerk. Naruto could have _died_ and yet the old man showed no sign of sympathy. She knew hardly anyone cared for Naruto, but Kashikoi did not know of what lay within the blond. She frowned as he waited for an answer.

_Jerk..._

"Of course," Lee piped up. Sakura and Shikamaru were both wondering how much energy he harbored. It had to be _a lot_.

"Alright. Everyone move out!"

Lee and Shikamaru took their positions in the trees. There was a lack of radio so they were on guard constantly, checking for any suspicious movements in the forest. Sakura lead the group of cowardly guards and Kashikoi, all the while healing her arm with techniques Tsunade had taught her.

She didn't even get the chance to heal Naruto's wounds. _What had it been like for him? _She wondered. The kunoichi knew she would have to wait until their mission was finished before quickly going back to Konoha.

_Hold in there, Naruto!_

**_Continued in chapter eight!_**


	8. Going to the dark side

Author Note: Whoot! New chapter! A big thanks goes to Basser, the new super duper beta. And thanks to anyone else who volunteered to be a beta! Anyways, things begin to progress starting now and the evilness shall enter the stage! Mu hu ha ha! Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Going to the dark side**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Trees came in and out of sight. Everything was a blur now, yet he felt slow, losing his edge at the worst possible time. Branch after branch passed under his feet, never once breaking. The forest was incredibly wide spread, a large con to face against the pros of a very bad situation, if there were any pros at all.

Konoha wasn't far away now. He knew the others were capable of catching up soon, but it didn't matter. They had arrived too late in the end. Now, standing out in the dark vegetation, were a few tall buildings from Konohagakure.

His lungs choked, a burning sensation spreading like a wild fire through his chest. Jiraiya cursed himself (perhaps old age), but pressed forwards, the fate of Naruto in his possession. If only he could go faster!

"Hang on, kid."

The trees gave off to several expansive fields, making his speed drop a great amount. He was an open target, running through tall grass with an unconscious person slung over his back. But, Jiraiya held no worries, he had to do this.

Sharp, thick grass brushed over the Sanin's face as he lunged into the dense vegetation in front of him. His skin flared out in irritation that was hard to not notice, but Jiraiya remained focused.

In less than ten minutes, the frog summoner reached the borderline of trees. Quickly eying a clutter of thick forest, Jiraiya jumped forwards, landing on a sturdy branch and setting Naruto down carefully. He leaned heavily against the tree, inhaling and exhaling sharply.

Wind began to stir, billowing softly from all directions. Naruto looked as if he would be lifted off from his spot on the branch. Jiraiya watched him closely, making sure that he didn't convulse from the affects of the seals.

But the blond ninja was stronger than that. Unlike before, the spunky kid seemed to be more dangerous, filled with more anger and in a lot more pain. Even while cut off from the world around him, his face was a perfect picture of despair. His hair was messier than before and he wasn't even snoring.

A change in the wind allowed to faintly hear footsteps approaching from behind. Taking one of Naruto's kunai (the last of his collection), Jiraiya waited patiently. He raised the weapon out in front of him, flexing his sore muscles, and prepared to attack at any second.

Pieces of bark broke off and plummeted downwards as someone stepped onto a branch opposite of the one Jiraiya and Naruto were on. Before any further movement could take place, Jiraiya jumped off the branch and was standing before the person, pinning him against the tree.

"What do you want?" He grit out.

A bloody kunai almost grazed his face as the person attempted to break away. Jiraiya switched hands and dangerously pressed his borrowed weapon into the man's throat.

"I said _what do you want?_"

"I've got some unfinished business with that brat...I know you've got 'im hidden around here somewhere," he spat.

The man currently flirting with death flinched as his arm was overpowered by another fit of pain. A deep wound, one that Naruto had inflicted upon him, distinguished the man as the leader of the bandits.

Jiraiya, however, could have cared less who he was and quickly finished the wounded man off. Now with two kunai, the frog summoner returned to Naruto, who had yet to show any signs of awareness. He cleaned the blood off the sharp weapons and carefully put them in Naruto's kunai satchel.

With the wind resurrected, Jiraiya gathered Naruto in his arms (his back was aching terribly now) and continued to make his way back to Konohagakure.

He didn't know how much time Naruto had left now.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Another uneventful meeting regarding the Chuunin exams had passed. Another boring day in the big city of Konohagakure. Another day of wandering around, at a loss of things to do. She began to wonder why she even came back.

The sun beat down on her, but she was _very_ used to standing outside under the flaming ball in the sky back in her village. This village was quite different from her own, she had realized that a long time ago. But it was nice to get out and see different places, even if it wasn't for long.

The Chuunin exam plans were about to come alive so she had no reason to stay. Everyone she had met here two-and-a-half years ago were all on their own missions. She should have brought company along this time.

Temari had returned to Konohagakure shortly after her younger brother was brought back into the world of the living. She didn't necessarily want to leave her village or Gaara, but he was very capable of taking care of things on his own.

She sighed out of frustration. "There's nothing to do!"

Konohagakure was colorful, filled with a lot of people, and how it harbored nothing of interest to Temari. So, deciding that she might as well check the near by weapon shops for anything of interest, she set off.

Halfway there a group of people came running down the street, frantic about something by the looks of it. Not too long after, a white-haired man passed by with a very familiar ninja dangling limply in his arms.

"Naruto...?"

Two Chuunin ninja she remembered from her first visit to Konoha weren't far behind the others. She instinctively knew Naruto was in trouble and just by overlooking what had just transpired, it had to be _a lot_ of trouble.

In a day she would leave. The committee would let her, hopefully. She needed to inform Gaara about this, especially when she got the feeling it had a lot to do with that demon sealed inside the blond.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Tsunade almost choked on her sake as Shizune burst through the door with a worried expression painted on her face. Tsunade could feel the after effects of her favorite drink and the burning in her cheeks was growing stronger. She almost waved her friend off, but Shizune spoke up first.

"Naruto-kun has returned! He's in the Konoha Hospital, he just got there. His condition is _very_ unstable and.."

"Naruto has been hospitalized...?"

"Y-y-yes!"

Tsunade, forgetting the sake she had hidden on her lap, jumped forwards, staining her pants and ruining several near by papers. Too upset to care, she ran out of the paper cluttered room with Shizune close behind her.

It took close to no time for them to reach the hospital. Tsunade pushed through the front doors and into a very busy main entrance, demanding to know where Naruto was being kept.

"H-H-Hokage-sama!" A very shaken up nurse stuttered. The hospital was extremely busy and she was breaking under the pressure of it all. "R-r-r-right this way!"

Tsunade and Shizune, who was apologizing for her friend's brashness, followed the nurse down winding and narrow hallways. They ended up on the second floor. Crowded with people and several stretchers, the hallway was hard to maneuver through. For Tsunade, that was not a problem.

"Everybody out of my way!"

Any chit-chat that had been taking place stopped immediately. People jumped out of the way as Tsunade barged towards the door the nurse had pointed out to her. Upon entering, she felt guilty beyond belief at the sight of Naruto.

Jiraiya sat at his bedside, looking glum. The blond, still unconscious, had his chest bandaged and each cut that had ripped flesh on his face were patched up. He lay there stiffly, his hair unnaturally formed perfectly.

Tsunade walked to his bed and placed a hand on his forehead, now stripped of the headband that he was so proud of. Shizune went and searched for medical reports, questioning every nurse that walked by and finding special curing medicines.

Jiraiya shifted in his chair. Tsunade glanced at him and he sighed heavily, resting his hands on his knees.

"Things aren't looking too good."

_**Continued in chapter nine!**_


	9. Hospital hiatus

Author Note: Moving on to the 'dark side' of the story! Ku ku ku ku. This chapter isn't all that edited, but that's my fault, my eyes are covered in a mysterious fog. Basser will help next time though! Yay! Now, we're almost at the fifty mark which is good, good, good, good! Thank you everyone!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Hospital hiatus**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Sakura's headache was growing. Fast.

Putting up with Kashikoi's men had been no walk in the park but the wise man himself ended up being the real bother. _Seems like he wasn't so flawless after all..._ Sakura sighed. At least it was all over.

_Finally..._

The mission turned up good results, aside from the quarrel with the bandits. Lee was a great help, taking over Naruto's position and guarding Kashikoi well. Of course, the mission came first, but Sakura couldn't help but worry over Naruto.

Shikamaru proved once again that he was an elite leader. His strategies were top notch, flawless, and well calculated. Because of that, the team remained strong all the way through. Now, it was time to get back to Konohagakure.

Lee talked loudly and _very_ enthusiastically about his training with Gai as they trekked through the forest. Sakura found it tempting to just smack him over the head, but he _had_ helped them. Lee was safe... for now anyway.

Shikamaru was currently ahead of Lee and Sakura, closely observing the surrounding forest. Each time he jumped from branch to branch, Konoha's taller structures became visible through the mass of leaves ahead of him. The clouds above were just begging to be watched. Sadly, Shikamaru had even more assignments that needed completion once they returned. Cloud watching would have to wait until another time.

_How troublesome..._

"We'll be there shortly!" He yelled over his shoulder.

Lee and Sakura nodded in understanding. Absentmindedly, all three leaf-nin quickened their pace. Something had gone terribly wrong with sealing Naruto and each wanted to know what it was and whether or not the blond was going to be okay.

Konohagakure couldn't be more than twenty minutes away now. Sakura, trying to calm herself, but ended up biting her lip from anxiety.

_You better be alright, Naruto!_

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Monitors beeped in a never ending, almost hauntingly spaced pattern. It was as if they were programed in a way so the heart had time to give out before a warning could even be issued. Wires hung around the room as if it was some ancient rainforest. An IV dripped clear liquid into Naruto's blood stream, via a small needle taped to his right hand.

Paled curtains hung over the only window, giving Naruto's skin complexion a ghostly glow. He hadn't moved, not even an inch. Doctors and nurses hovered in and out of the room periodically, clipboards grasped possessively in their hands.

Jiraiya sat through everything. Visiting hours came and went just as fast as the doctors. He rarely spoke to the men in white caps, he preferred the nurses instead. Multiple times he had been ordered to leave, but Jiraiya refused. Finally, in a desperate need of food and some good sake, he left.

Even he, the great legendary Jiraiya, could not understand the situation that had unfolded before him earlier. The Kyuubi was obviously the one to blame for this. That he knew, but what exactly had it done?

"Damn fox..."

Naruto constantly got back up, no matter how bad his injuries were. It was a trait that earned him much respect, but he wasn't getting back up this time. The seal on his stomach had to be weaker than Jiraiya originally assumed.

Many rooms passed, each with open doors. The legendary Sanin averted his eyes, he wasn't one who liked seeing all the machines people were hooked up to. Hospitals made him queasy. He had made many trips here as a child and hoped to never end up in one again. If Naruto hadn't been his subordinate or the person he looked after (somewhat), Jiraiya would be out of the pungent smelling building faster than the speed of light.

Another stretch of rooms, wandering nurses and mumbling visitors came into view. Jiraiya ignored all of them, heading straight for the main entrance. He passed a few kids he recognized, probably here to visit Naruto. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally saw light from the outside world and sighed with relief.

Before exiting, Jiraiya was stopped as a hand tugged lightly on the sleeve of his shirt. He looked down and saw a kunoichi that belonged to the Hyuuga clan, blushing furiously and looking embarrassed.

"E-excuse me. Do-do you know which room Naruto-kun is in?"

The Sanin laughed good heartedly. He gave her the directions she need and then, without any more interruptions, he stepped outside. First, he was going to find something to eat, then he planned on tracking Tsunade down, although she was probably in her office, swamped with paperwork... or drinking sake.

He had questions and she had answers. After his little visit, he planned on getting his own delicious drink.

Tsunade better start talking.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Temari traveled faster than normal. Urgent matters only called for her to use such high speeds and rarely did she even bother figuring out what time she'd return to Sunagakure. On most occasions, the kunoichi set a slow pace and more than once she had been 'yelled' at by Kankurou. More like a scolding for a two-year-old...

She liked venturing around. Every month or so Temari was in a different country, walking down a different path, talking to different people. Of course, she always returned back. 'Vacations' were merely simple missions she helped assist in.

With her current speed, Temari could already see most of Sunagakure. No trees flourished in this desolate land, making anything visible even if it were an hour away. The cool shade trees offered was long gone. Sand and wind ruled here.

Judging by the distance, Sunagakure stood ten minutes away. Temari easily covered that distance as scorching sun rays assaulted her exposed skin. Growing up here did have it's advantages for the kunoichi didn't feel a thing.

Thick walls were obstructed around Suna, made from sand, stone and mud, protecting the village from all trespassers. Temari stood before the thick barrier, acknowledging the ninjas on guard duty. She entered the village in what seemed like seconds, running towards the tower she knew Gaara was in.

Panting only slightly, Temari arrived at the tower made out of sand. She was glad for at least a drop in temperature and circulating air. Kankurou was nowhere to be seen so she assumed Gaara had sent him on a mission. Hallways went by one after another until Temari finally made it to the floor where it was traditional for a Kazekage to hold his office.

Gaara signed another slip of paper after carefully reading through the statement printed neatly on it. Adding the paper to a monstrous stack that was growing on his desk, the Kazekage of Sunagakure lightly sat back in his chair. Paperwork was tiring.

Things had changed since Akatsuki forcefully took the demon from inside him. People no longer saw him as a tool for their village or as a monster, but he did know were a few who had their minds made up that he was still some freak . Now, however, he was simply human, a leader of all people inhabiting Sunagakure. He felt like a real Kazekage now.

Sunlight poured from the windows behind him. Gaara believed that perhaps no more problems would arise for the day, and no more paperwork. Oh, how wrong he had been.

Temari burst through the solid door across from him without an invitation. She stepped into the office, bending down to catch her breath between sharp exhaling. Gaara gave her an odd look and remained silent, waiting for an excuse as to why she barged in.

"It's," she caught her breath. "Naruto."

Gaara showed that he was listening and became curious. Temari stood up straight, her shoulders still heaving.

"They've taken him to the hospital back at Konoha! Everyone was totally freaking out and it didn't look too good!"

Gaara's eyes narrowed at this. A frown tugged on his pale lips and he crossed his arms, a habit he never got over. No fuss would ever be made over a few broken ribs, there was something else happening in Konohagakure. It had to be the Kyuubi.

"Was Akatsuki involved?" He asked in his monotone voice.

"I don't know, but people were lookin' pretty damn upset. And some were more like angry-upset."

Gaara set his feather pen down on his desk that had been used by previous Kazekages. He sat up slowly, a small breeze drifting in through the window and ruffling his hair. Temari watched as he maneuvered around the desk silently before he spoke quietly.

"I'm leaving."

"Gaara, you can't do that. You have to stay here and.."

"I'll ask the elders to look after the village."

"Fine...," Temari sighed, defeated again. She rarely won arguments with Gaara, even with her fiery attitude. Though she doubted he actions sometimes, her younger sibling never made stupid decisions.

"Temari...?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow, pack some things, you're coming along too."

And, just like Gaara had said, they left the Sunagakure the next day, bright and early.

_**Continued in chapter 10!**_


	10. Jinchuuriki

Author Note: Awesome! Thanks for the reviews! This chapter is a rather short, but as the story progresses each chapter should get longer. Now, without any more babbling, here is chapter ten. We're in the double digits now, whoooo!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Jinchuuriki**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Kakashi pulled himself awake. Judging by the light that bled into his room, it had to be well into the day, most likely noon. His missions lately lasted days, or, if he was lucky, only twenty four hours with no rest whatsoever. It was tiring, but Kakashi managed well.

Throwing his thick blankets to the side, Kakashi sat up in one fluid motion. He blinked lazily, adjusting his mask that had loosened during his sleep. Today was going to be quite an interesting day so the tired ninja decided that he'd at least make an attempt to be on time.

He got up, pushed his door open silently and hunted down whatever food in his home that wasn't past its expiry date or dried out. His new favorite book, the one Naruto brought back when returning to Konohagakure, was quickly snatched up before he left.

Outside, the village was abuzz with shoppers, people visiting from other lands, and everyone else that Kakashi had mentally remember from previous days. It was rather cloudy out, the smell of rain present. Sunshine became a luxury Konohagakure would have to miss out on for the moment.

Kakashi leisurely strolled through crowd after crowd of people, one hand shoved into a pocket attached to his pants. He was heading straight for the hospital today. He finally had a day off but he didn't have a chance to visit the outgoing blond when the incident happened.

Naruto had been in the hospital for a week now. He showed no signs of improvement and it was beginning to bother many others. Tsunade devoted most of her rare free time checking in on Naruto's progress, trying to create new medicines in hope that Naruto would recover. However, the blond remained motionless, never giving anyone a clue that he was getting better... or worse.

A few days ago, according to Sakura, Naruto began to show signs of a fever. It wasn't long before his condition became unstable, leaving every doctor and nurse completely dumbfounded.

"_Sensei," _Sakura had whispered, looking worried. _" I went in Naruto's hospital room last night and saw this awful thing!"_

Kakashi was about a block away now. The windows of his destination stood like crystal barriers, preventing the patients inside from getting out.

"_There was this chakra forming around him like a vortex. It had an awful feel to it and it was so powerful!"_

Kakashi knew then that the demon sealed inside Naruto was at fault. He hoped Sakura told Tsunade what she witnessed, it would be very helpful to Naruto's health. They needed all the information they could get.

By the time Kakashi strolled through a set of well maintained doors, Tsunade long finished another quick check-up on the unconscious blond. She limply held a wooden clipboard in her hands and was about to leave when she spotted the copy ninja in the main hallway.

"How is Naruto?" He asked, studying his surroundings and assuming that the blond was stuck in his usual hospital bed. "Is he in the same room as before... and the time before that?"

"We've isolated him in a different ward. This wasn't necessarily my idea, but until we know what's going on, he can't be near any other patients."

Kakashi put on a thoughtful expression. "Hmmm. And where exactly is this ward?"

"Top floor. It's the one we use for special cases..."

"I see..."

With a flash of smoke, Kakashi disappeared. Tsunade tossed her clipboard to a receptionist occupied with paperwork and neared the front doors as the busy woman behind her fumbled to put Naruto's report away.

"H-Hokage-sama!"

Tsunade turned around, halfway through the glass doors. She faced the receptionist, who was glancing over the chart that had been thrown her way.

"Yes?"

"This is Uzumaki Naruto's file, right?"

Tsunade became interested. "Yes..."

"Well," the receptionist stumbled slightly. "Some of the nurses on that floor reported an eerie red glow coming from his room, they were quite scared."

"A red glow?" She remembered Sakura telling her about that exact same glow, the scary feeling chakra that surrounded Naruto. "Anything else?"

"N-no, I'm sorry."

"I want any signs of that light reported to me as soon as they happen, understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

With a small nod, Tsunade left the hospital. She had to get back to the tower and, of course, her 'lovely' paperwork.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Gaara stood outside the tall gates of Konoha. With his arms crossed over his chest (like usual) he stood at stared at the wooden structure. They would need to inform any ninja on guard duty of their visit, but Gaara wanted to avoid being seen.

He could set up a meeting with Tsunade and claim that he was here strictly for business purposes, but it wouldn't work forever. He _was_ the Kazekage now so his intentions for arriving out of the blue might be questioned. He didn't want to go through all that hassle.

As an ex-demon holder, he knew of the problems and the pain that came from being a vessel. He wanted to help with this and repay Naruto for saving him not only once, but twice. He was the only one that could truly understand the situation.

"Gaara," Temari spoke up. She was leaning against a thick tree trunk, her fan as well. "We should really get inside. With all those side trips we made, I'm exhausted."

"I know."

"Come on then!"

Gaara made his way to the opened gate with Temari walking at an identical pace beside him. The guards stationed there -Kotetsu and Izumo- were greatly surprised at the sight of the young Kazekage and his older and much more vocal sibling.

"We need to get to the hospital quickly," Temari ordered before either the guards of Gaara could speak.

"And tell the Hokage that we've arrived," Gaara added quietly before walking past the two leaf-nin.

Gaara knew his way to the hospital. His trip to pay Lee a visit lead him there two and a half years ago during the time Shukaku was nearly uncontrollable. Now, as the two sand siblings trekked onwards, Gaara recalled several things that him inwardly cringe.

"Looks like we're almost there."

Several people cleared the way for Gaara and Temari, some confused as to who they were and some recognizing them instantly. This allowed better use of the roads and the two siblings wasted no time making progress towards Konoha hospital.

The main doors came into view and, as Gaara could tell, the hospital was dead empty. Temari nodded towards a few ninja she remembered from being on the Chuunin exam committee as her younger brother entered the hospital silently.

Nobody was at the main desk when they entered. It was total deja vu for Gaara as he walked up to the desk, immediately catching a glimpse of Naruto's chart. How careless the receptionist had been to leave it here for the whole world to see.

_Uzumaki Naruto,_ he read to himself. _Illness: Unknown. Stationed: Top floor, room 502– Special Cases Ward. Take extreme caution when approaching._

Gaara tossed the chart back, caring not about the 'extreme caution' he had to take. He turned to his older sibling, who was reading a small bulletin board. "Temari, let's go."

Finding Naruto's room proved to be no problem at all. The hospital was completely empty and silent, except for the quiet _beeping_ that came from expensive medical machinery. It gave the building an odd feeling, one of unease. The siblings, however, ignored it and within no time they were standing in front of room 502.

Gaara opened the closed and secure hospital door, half expecting to find someone in there with Naruto. Apparently, visiting hours were over but that didn't matter to the red head. He stepped inside silently, followed by a cautious Temari.

The curtains were blocking out any form of sunlight (if there even was any on a day like this) and Gaara quietly asked his sister to open them. When light flooded the room, both siblings caught sight of Naruto and the thought of closing the curtains seemed like a good idea. He looked too lifeless to be Naruto.

"So," came a voice from a corner that the light hadn't touched. "It looks like Gaara arrived after all..."

**_Continued in chapter 11!_**


	11. Mumbling: the sign of life

Author Note: Gosh, I love you guys! The reviews are awesome, the response is great, what else could I ask for? This is great! I think I'll get around to responding to each review individually when I manage to kill some evil biology projects or push aside some studying for psychology. But anyways, here is chapter eleven. Thanks for all the great reviews once again!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Mumbling: the sign of life**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Gaara and Temari spun around. Both had not been able to sense anyone else in the room besides them, so when a somewhat familiar voice spoke up, their hearts _almost_ skipped a beat.

Dull light from the window faintly allowed them to see the stealthy ninja's face. It was a very unforgettable face, one that almost everyone who encountered him remembered. Why, of course it could only be Hatake Kakashi! The one and only.

He had put his favorite book away and remained in the shadows. Before, his mind had concluded several things about Naruto's health and settled for watching his student closely until something happened. And, of course, company had shown up _after_ visiting hours had ended.

Kakashi pulled himself off the wall he was leaning against and stepped towards Gaara and a very cross looking Temari. He witnessed her unleash strange behaviour before and wondered what exactly he did to put that angry expression on her face. It only meant one thing...T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

"You might want to show some more respect towards Gaara," she warned Kakashi. "He's the Kazekage, remember?"

Gaara didn't comment. He turned back towards the direction where Naruto lay unconscious, his eyes narrowing at a sliver of painful chakra that lashed out at him. Whatever the Kyuubi inside Naruto was doing, it sure wasn't letting anything or rather _anyone_ near it's vessel.

"Hey, Gaara, what happened?" Temari could feel a sudden change in the atmosphere and caught her younger sibling's narrow eyes staring at something before reverting back to the usually calm look held within them.

Gaara averted his eyes from Naruto, having gave up on trying to spot more of the deadly chakra. He glanced at Kakashi, assuming he had a few questions itching to crawl out. He was correct.

"So, _Kazekage,_ what brings you here so suddenly? Naruto is always in the hospital and.."

"This is different."

_So, he's already figured it out, huh? _Kakashi blinked his only visible eye a couple of times, crossing his arms and glancing at Naruto.

"You know," he said, unnerved by Gaara's piercing eyes. "This isn't the first time this has happened. But, you _are_ right, this is different. Do you know why?"

"Man, you're awfully full of questions, aren't you?" Temari pointed out, placing a hand on her hip and looking towards her sibling, expecting a glare of some sort for her interruption but received nothing.

"His chakra is different. He's not... chipper and lacks any sign of regaining health. That is solely the Kyuubi's fault."

Kakashi stroked his chin whilst craning his head to the right. "Quite observant, aren't you?" He fully expected another comment from the strong kunoichi, but his ears were met with nothing.

The copy ninja left his position near the wall and with a few quick strides, he stood beside Naruto's bed. Almost instantly he felt dreadful power lash out at him and drew back. He narrowed his eye and concentrated on locating the– as Shikamaru would say– troublesome chakra. He couldn't find anything.

"Well, this is going to be trouble, no wonder he hasn't made any improvements."

"What do you mean by that?" Temari asked.

"Perhaps you'll find out if you so kindly went and asked the Hokage? She knows a lot more than she lets on."

Temari 'hmphed' and hesitantly walked out of the room. But, not before giving Kakashi one of her icy glares. She would probably try to kill him if he spoke to Gaara in a way she didn't like. It was best to stay safe.

The door closed with a quiet _'click'_. Only machine _'beep, beep, beeping' _echoed throughout the room. Kakashi, only moments after Temari left, bid Gaara farewell. He needed to track Jiraiya down, where ever the old man was...

Gaara was left completely to himself. He liked it that way, there were no interruptions. He found a wooden chair tucked neatly into a corner and dragged it to Naruto's bed. Then, sitting down quietly, the Kazekage of Sunagakure fell into a deep state of thought.

There had to be a way to break through the protective chakra barrier. Starting from scratch, Gaara summoned a few grains of sand towards the blond. As predicted, they were repelled by chakra so Gaara tried again, but added more force to his sand.

Red chakra, this time completely visible, lashed outwards, eliminating the sand. Then, without warning, the chakra aimed for Gaara. Dodging a probably painful injury, Gaara moved from his chair quickly and decided that more force was needed. He had to break through.

Ever since Akatsuki had taken the fearsome Shukaku from within his body, Gaara's sand depleted in power, but it still listened to him, more so than before. Silently, he watched small grains of sand rise up in front of him. Without a word ushered, Gaara's protector rose up and slammed down on Naruto, a serpent-like _hiss_ echoing all around.

Chakra, just like before, acted up to protect Naruto; however, Gaara's sand prevailed. Red light engulfed the small hospital room, piercing through thick wall yet leaving no marks. A strong, invisible force field struck Gaara while his sand was still slithering back to him. Stumbling, but not showing any signs of faltering mentally, he neared the occupied hospital bed and this time, he was not held back.

"Wake up."

Naruto still lay motionless, his eyes clamped down tightly, hair placed in a very neat and un-Naruto manner. His lips were pursed together, forming a smug frown. It was sickening, the way he looked. How could someone like Naruto turn into this?

"Wake up," Gaara repeated. He got no answer, he knew he wouldn't get one, and he didn't care that it was pointless, he had to _try_ at least. He owed Naruto his life, he couldn't just stand by and do _nothing._

There had to be a way to get Naruto out of his current condition, Gaara would make sure of that.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Gentle water lapsed over his bare feet, such a perfect temperature that it seemed all too surreal. Dreams, to him, were only associated with the flavor of ramen of course, so he refused to come to terms with his current situation. The water, now drawing him in using the perfect feeling it brought, dulled Naruto's awareness and he fell victim to a beautiful, peaceful state of serenity.

He never remembered falling 'asleep' at night so, when Naruto took in his surroundings, he was quite confused. The dark, midnight blue sky was speckled with stars and the Milky Way. The only noise here was the calm flow of small sized waves that graced the sandy shore. Naruto then found himself standing amidst the sand further away from the water, small grains of it sliding between his toes when he wiggled them around. If felt good.

_Yeah, this is definitely a dream._

Before this, Naruto usually suffered from dreams involving the demon inside of him, 'dreams' that could or _should_ be classified as _nightmares_. This time, though, he couldn't feel Kyuubi's presence at all. He was safe, for now anyways.

Absentmindedly, Naruto moved towards the shore, where water met sand and stone. He felt hypnotized, at a loss of control over his movements but, since he was completely at ease, he didn't seem to mind. In no time, the blond was back at the water, craving its perfect touch.

Cold, crisp water struck his toes first. It was an odd feeling, that coldness, and Naruto felt that he recognized it from somewhere. But, the blond didn't have a chance at escaping once it dawned on him.

_That cold belongs to Kyuubi!_

Waves at least twice as tall as Naruto swept over him out of nowhere, so sudden that he fell out of his peaceful trance and into one of fear. He was flung into the sandy shore, limp and broken. His entire body hurt, he felt weak and that was the perfect time for an attack.

"Why are you doing this?" He yelled loudly. "I thought you said you'd help me, not hurt me!"

Cold waves roared closer towards Naruto, stained crimson this time. He would be a goner this time for sure, his body remained shattered like a broken doll. He was stuck.

Only ten inches away from sending Naruto into oblivion, the waves seemed to retract instead of moving forwards. Bewildered, the blond looked around and then downwards as he felt his hands being pulled on. The sand dragged him away from danger, sending Naruto into a different world.

It felt odd. More alive, more _real_. Then, before he could fully make out his surroundings– whatever there were anyways– Naruto began to feel more awake. He could _hear_ his heart beat and it didn't sound all that healthy. Slowly, he began to push forwards, his eyes shifted, opening the doors of reality.

He was awake.

_**Continued in chapter 12!**_


	12. Reality sucks

Author Note: Finally, something remotely longer! Thanks to anyone who reviewed the last chapter, the feedback was great. Now it's about time to head into the 'difficult' part of the story. Hee hee. I hope ya'll enjoy!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Reality sucks**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Gaara stood, arms still crossed, his eyes vacant of emotions, and analyzed every object within Naruto's hospital room. Boredom seeped into his veins, his mind dulling; anything would be better than just standing around. Doubt grew more and more. Perhaps Kyuubi possessed a greater amount of power over Naruto than he had first assumed. The blond wasn't going to wake up again.

"_Where am I?" _Naruto had shouted about an hour ago. _"W-what am I doing here? What's going on?"_ Gaara then ran out of the room to get help. Nurses and doctors flew in moments after.

"_Please step aside, Kazekage," _a male doctor had said. _"We need to examine him right away."_

Of course, the Kyuubi wasn't feeling all too generous and sent out it's powerful chakra, preventing any aid from reaching Naruto. This, in turn, spread more fear and confusion from inside Naruto, causing him to go into shock.

"_Get me the tranquilizer! This boy is getting out of control!"_

The doctors and nurses that were in the room for only a few short moments fled afterwards, driven out by the dangerous chakra. Gaara watched with his own eyes as Naruto's blue orbs rolled upwards–to the ceiling– and closed shut seconds after. Naruto had passed out.

Nobody, not even Kakashi returned that day. Temari, he hoped, was currently sitting in Tsunade's office. She hadn't showed up at all and the hospital staff were too nervous to enter Naruto's room. In other words, Gaara had nothing to do, no one to converse with (it wasn't like he was the talkative type anyways) and lastly, he was running out of things to think about.

The room was incredibly bland feeling, not a single thing was considerably entertaining. Gaara backed away from the occupied hospital bed and sat down in a faded brown chair, the one he had occupied when Naruto's chakra had lashed out before. Sand, barely visible in the dull, clouded light, began to dance around Gaara's hands as he watched it move independently.

Caught in the trance his sand created, Gaara failed to noticed the door behind him slide quietly open. When a faint gasp reached his ears, Gaara's sand dropped dead on the floor and the Kazekage, now turned completely around, stared blankly at an older female nurse.

She had heard many things about Sabaku no Gaara, things that made almost anyone shiver. So, upon entering Naruto's room (it was his check-up time, as her clipboard said), she couldn't help but remain frozen in time, fear jolting her heart like sharp lightning. She didn't want to die- it would be wise to just tell him what was going on.

"It's-it's-its's Naruto's regular check-up time."

Gaara nodded stiffly. Carefully, he sat up and moved away from Naruto, settling against a wall near by. The nurse cautiously entered, afraid for her safety, and quickly made her way to the unconsciousness blond. Placing her chart on a small night stand, she began to check his heart rate, body temperature, then, grabbing the chart, she wrote down a few jot notes.

"His condition hasn't changed," she explained nervously to Gaara,, who remained silent, watching her scribble down things and glance back at Naruto periodically. "Also, it appears that whatever was keeping the other doctors and nurses away from him has disappeared."

"I see."

"The doctors don't know what's wrong with him, and some are quite afraid to come in here, do you know why?" The nurse knew Gaara had only arrived here not too long ago, so it couldn't be because of him.

Gaara glanced at Naruto and then back at the nurse. The woman must have been from somewhere else to not know of Naruto and what was sealed inside of him. He didn't want any more hatred directed towards the only other person that shared the same pain as him. Naruto didn't deserve cold treatment while being hospitalized.

"I don't know," Gaara lied, keeping his voice at a steady level. "I'm sorry."

The nurse bowed slightly before excusing herself. She closed the door quietly, careful not to awaken Naruto, her clipboard clenched tightly in her hands. Gaara was once again left all to his lonesome self but he didn't mind.

Faded brown material known as a chair beckoned to Gaara, looking strangely alone in the room. A few silent strides and the ruler of Sunagakure was sitting calmly, patient as ever, contemplating the fate of Naruto.

An hour passed and still nothing happened. The stoic ninja was no longer in his chair, having become stiff and his muscles sore. He was currently standing in front of the door, undecided if he should leave for a while or not. His feet guided him forwards as if they had a mind of their own and, just as he was about to exit the room, sounds of rustling fabric reached his sensitive ears.

Gaara spun around, his robes floating in the air momentarily. Naruto's hair moved in sync with his head and slowly, as if mechanically, his eyes cracked open. The young Kazekage was at his bed within seconds, unsure of what to do.

Naruto's once crystal clear blue orbs were now clouded over and gazed at nothing. The expression on his face never changed, his limbs refused to move, the rest of his body was framed in pain.

Gaara moved to the opposite side of Naruto's bed where the blond stared blankly at nothing. Naruto must have seen him through the fog in his eyes, he showed a small amount of recognition and tried to speak but it cost him too much energy. His head fell limply into his pearl white pillow and heavy eyelids entrapped once brilliant blue orbs.

Thinking quickly, Gaara looked around for an emergency button or device to notify any available doctors of Naruto's current state. Remembering that there had been nothing before, darting his emotionless eyes back and forth, Gaara realized that even if he were to run, there was a chance that something could happen to Naruto. This was important, he had to find someone, _anyone_ who could whisk the blond into better condition. Forming the correct hand symbols, Gaara teleported himself to the main area where doctors and nurses flourished.

An elderly man, probably in his mid-fifties, was the red head's first choice. He calmly approached the man, keeping himself in check, and asked politely for him to quickly hurry to Naruto's room. In the back of his mind he had the feeling that this man, like many others, would reject the blond and, as Gaara found out, his small feeling had been right.

"Absolutely not!" The doctor bellowed, placing his hands on his hips and looking appalled.

Gaara sent him a death glare. "You cannot deny a person the medical treatment they need, _doctor_." Like usual, his icy glare was able tp snap the man into a state of submission... it worked on just about anyone.

The doctor made his way to Naruto's hospital room while Gaara simply teleported himself back in a blink of an eye, returning him to an occupied hospital room. Ten minutes later, as Gaara had counted, the doctor appeared with two male nurses behind him. In mere seconds, the doctor completely checked over Naruto and sent both nurses for assistance.

"He's become unstable, his heart beat is erratic," the old man reported to Gaara, whom was leaning against the wall beside the hospital bed. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave for now."

"What are you going to do?"

The doctor rubbed his forehead. "Just a few tests, that's all, nothing that'll harm your friend."

Tests. _Tests._ To Gaara, they meant nothing but trouble. Tests were more like experiments for guinea pigs to see if they would die or not. He glared at the doctor, hardening his facial expression, and pushing himself off of the wall while uncrossing his arms.

"I hope you keep your word." And with that Gaara left, sparring Naruto one more glance, hoping the chakra wouldn't return. He quietly closed the door and headed straight for Tsunade's office.

Upon entering the sturdy tower, Gaara found Temari. She informed him that Tsunade was currently in an important meeting with many elders and council members. Frankly, Gaara didn't care, and he expressed that well. Giving a short farewell, the red head found himself making his way towards Tsunade;s office, not a single worry passing through his mind that he may be interrupting something.

A well used wooden door greeted Gaara once he finally stumbled upon the last floor. Voices echoed through the thick wood but Gaara didn't care. That was, until he heard words such as 'Jinchuuriki', 'Kyuubi', and 'Naruto'.

He turned the doorknob and stepped inside without even knowing it. Sand danced around his feet, threatening to strike out now that his anger had awaken, but Gaara silently asked it to stop, he wasn't going to shed blood.

"Gaara?" It was Tsunade's voice. "What are you doing here?"

The Hokage looked as if she was being outnumbered in something, Gaara noticed. He set his eyes upon several faces he had never seen before, all of which were old and worn. "It's about Naruto," he said as calmly as he could. "He has woken up."

Tsunade jumped up from her chair but an old woman, nearing her seventies, spoke threateningly. "Hokage-sama, let me remind you that this meeting is not yet over, please sit down." Tsunade sat, hesitantly, then the old woman turned to Gaara. "Ah, Kazekage-sama, how nice of you to join us, take a seat alongside the wall if you want. I'm sure this meeting will only bore you so if you.."

"I'll stay."

No objections were made as Gaara leaned heavily against the wall closest to the door. He put on an extremely calm facade, his eyes darting from face to face, his sand disappearing gradually.

"Now," an elderly man spoke up. "We've come to a conclusion as to what will happen to Uzumaki Naruto." He turned to Tsunade and shuffled a stack of papers in front of him. "We can keep him around a little longer but eventually he'll have to... _move on_..."

Gaara's eyes narrowed at his. What did they mean by 'he'll have to _move on_'? They wanted him dead, Gaara knew it. He was about to speak up but, to his surprise, Tsunade beat him to it."

"I will _not_ grant you permission! That is absurd! Naruto has done his best to help this village, even with people turning their backs to him and having no faith in him whatsoever. He could _never_ hurt this village! I do _not_ see if necessary for me to repeat this again!"

"Please calm down, Hokage-_sama_," the old woman, who had addressed Gaara earlier whispered venomously. "There is nothing we can do for Naruto now, we can't let him rot away in a hospital bed... do you understand?"

"What _I_ understand is.."

"Please, Hokage-sama," the elderly man spoke up again. "You let him go on that mission when we had warned you that he was unstable, now you must listen to us. For the better of this village..."

Tsunade, now angry, quickly glanced towards Gaara and saw his mask about to crack away. The sand near his feet, the cold expression in his eyes, his hands twitching on their own... he was definitely angry himself. She acted up before he did, hoping that Gaara wouldn't cave in to his emotions.

"No, _you listen to me._ I vow to come with a way to properly restore Naruto back to his normal self. Regardless of what you think, Naruto is strong and will protect this village with all his heart. That alone is enough to save him."

Everyone became silent. The elders and council members exchanged troubled looks. Tsunade sighed and waved her hand.

"This meeting is over. You are all dismissed."

_**Continued in chapter 13!**_


	13. Return to Suna

Author Note: This chapter took a bit of time to get up, but I made it. I'm entered into a novel writing contest so that's taken up a large amount of time, but I will always have time to type chapters up for this story. In my profile page, I've posted some sneak previews to upcoming chapters for anyone to see. Check them out if you want. A big thanks goes to all the wonderful reviewers and readers, you guys rock! Here's chapter thirteen, enjoy!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Return to Suna**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Hospital food, as Jiraiya found out, tasted more like over-expired milk than anything else. The small cafeteria was lacking in all things appetizing, and that also included their small quantity of drinks. They didn't even have sake! Of course, he knew the wouldn't even _dream_ of including that on their menu. An old man can dream... right?

Currently, Jiraiya was seated rather uncomfortably at an overly bleached stainless steel table, a small tray of food smelling heavily of plastic, and a glass of _water_ clutched in his left hand. He contemplated whether or not he should even bother swallowing a chunk of some repulsive casserole that was impaled on his fork. The garbage no more than two feet away from him seemed to want his food. Jiraiya made no complaints.

Next, the glass of water became a victim; however, instead of throwing it out like he had done with the hospital food, Jiraiya swallowed the stale liquid fast, nearly choking on a half-melted ice cube. He smirked wickedly then, making sure no one was around (in looking distance anyways), Jiraiya pulled out a flask of his favorite sake. Just as he unscrewed the top, a voice caught his attention, making him feel (and look) like a deer frozen in bright headlights.

"_Ahem!_" Jiraiya slowly glanced upwards and came face to face with an angry Tsunade. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Ah... eating?"

Tsunade sat down across from Jiraiya and held her hand towards the flask of sake. "Give me that!"

"Pushy, aren't you?"

Tsunade, without warning, simply flicked the hand Jiraiya held the sake in and laughed devilishly as he drew back in pain, immediately handing over his prized drink. The Hokage of Konohagakure was not someone to mess with. In mere seconds, the sake disappeared, leaving Jiraiya upset and Tsunade quite happy with herself.

"That's no way for a _Hokage _to act in public," the frog hermit commented, eyeing the empty flask and hoping that something –even a few drops– had been left. Sadly, he was wrong.

"Don't even try bossing me around." She waved a finger at Jiraiya, swaying slightly from side to side. "I'm perfectly fine."

Jiraiya looked at her suspiciously. "What are you doing here anyways? Got bored of paperwork?"

"Oh be quiet," she snapped. "I came here to check up on Naruto. He woke up today, according to Gaara."

"The... Kazekage is here?"

"Excellent assumption, genius."

Tsunade's cheeks began to redden as the sake seeped further into her system. She was feeling extremely tired now, stress from both Naruto's condition and the council's decisions were driving her downwards. "I'm going home now, you go check on the kid."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. He knew all too well how stubborn Tsunade was and when she refused help, she obviously needed it. He sat up and dragged the Hokage of Konohagakure from her seat.

"Come on, you drunk yourself silly. Let's get you back to your paperwork."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Naruto hadn't moved since waking up only a few hours ago. The doctors estimated that it would take days before he showed any vital improvements, it was surprising enough that he managed to wake up before. Red chakra never once made an appearance, almost doubling Naruto's chance of recovery.

Now, lightly tucked underneath a few thin hospital sheets, Naruto continued to sleep, this time with a much more peaceful look on his face. He reassured those worried over his health that he was strong enough and stress that nearly everyone associated with Naruto had begun to slowly die down. Visitors came and left but Gaara remained within the hospital room, his mind constantly coming up with ways to drive Kyuubi away.

So far, nothing worked.

Positioned calmly against the wall near a curtain-covered window, Gaara's line of concentration became an aged clock ticking away, his eyes were completely blank and it appeared as if he was looking at nothing. He was becoming frustrated. There wasn't a thing _anyone_ could do to help Naruto and, to make things worse, a group of babbling old ignorant people wanting nothing more than to see the blond 'leave'. There was no way Naruto could die.

Time was ticking away, not only on the clock Gaara was concentrated on, but for Naruto as well. Every second seemed like nothing but wasted time, allowing Kyuubi one step further to finally take over. Despite what Gaara thought, if Naruto was losing the fight, he would have been in a great state of pain, and shown it as well. They only signs of emotion that Naruto displayed presently was peacefulness.

Gaara knew there had to be more to it.

Soft knocking filled the room, choking out the silence that lingered around. Gaara silently strode forwards and opened the door where Temari stood, a smirk tugging on the corners of her lips, a habit she had picked up at a young age.

"So this is where you've been hiding!"

Gaara stepped aside as Temari entered, looking around the room and, upon noticing that nothing had changed, she sighed loudly. Turning so she was facing Gaara, Temari began her slew of questions, starting from number one.

"Has Naruto improved much? I heard that he woke up recently, you witnessed it, right?"

Gaara nodded. "Yes."

Temari walked slowly up to Naruto, followed by her younger sibling. Both were hauntingly silent. They watched the demon vessel sleep soundly, or so it appeared, and it wasn't long before Temari spoke again. This time her voice held a more serious tone, an immediate warning that she wasn't here to just merely watch over Naruto. She meant business, in an older sister sort of way.

"Gaara, I know you're concerned, though you'd never admit it, but you _are_ the Kazekage and Suna needs you. It'll turn into a very difficult situation if you stay away for so long." She placed a hand on her hip, turning her gaze to her younger brother. "Gaara, Suna needs you to come back."

Gaara remained where he was, staring at the bandages that covered Naruto's wounds, the words of Konohagakure's elders drifting through his mind. Leaving now would only make Naruto more vulnerable to the hatred held towards him but, as Gaara discovered since arriving days ago, there was a group of well respected people that would protect _and_ look after Naruto... not matter what.

"I know," he said distantly. "I'll go inform the Hokage of our departure..." He turned his back to Naruto and took a few steps towards the door, the froze, turning to face Temari. "But we'll be returning in three days."

"Gaara, you can't.."

Temari's words fell flat on the floor for Gaara had already left Naruto's room via the hospital door. The oldest of the sand siblings sighed, shaking her head and silently wishing the best for Naruto. Then, without anymore setbacks, she left Konoha Hospital herself.

The elders of Suna were _not _going to like this.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Gaara stood before a round oak table, his decision still not surfaced, and an impatient group of Sunagakure's wisest sitting around him. His chair brushed up against the back of his legs, as if it was urging him to go on. His posture was perfect, his eyes bore no emotion, and a calm mask had been expertly placed over his facial expression.

He was ready.

"You all know of my decision to visit Konohagakure for my own personal sake," he started, calm as ever. "And I am thankful for that but.."

"Kazekage-sama, Suna is holding a celebration of which requests your presence. You cannot leave now," one of the elders stated. He had doubted Gaara's ability to lead an entire city before, in fact he only saw Gaara as a monster. However, all his bitter grudges had dropped after Akatsuki's attack on Sunagakure.

"I will stay for the celebration, after that I am leaving, but for no longer than a week. Sunagakure will be in good hands, there has been absolutely no sign of an attack from anyone."

"Excuse me, Kazekage, but Akatsuki attacked without warning, surely there are chances of that happening again, correct?"

Gaara was silent, only for a few seconds, but long enough for the man who had spoken up to want to swallow his words. "They... have nothing to aim for in Suna, it is no longer in danger," the young Kazekage said.

Baki, who was also present at the meeting –like many others– stood up next. "Alright, this meeting is over, everyone is dismissed." He gave Gaara a small nod, showing that he understood well what the Kazekage of Sunagakure meant.

Gaara left quietly, like usual, and set off to the best medical ninja in Suna. He was going to do a small amount of research before Temari dragged him to the celebration, a great source of entertainment and a most valued tradition in Sunagakure.

He just wasn't looking forward to the outfit his older sibling would make him wear.

_**Continued in chapter fourteen!**_


	14. Wake up, Naruto

Author Note: Thanks to those lovely people that reviewed last chapter! Great news, folks! The story is getting better, and you'll find that out near the end of this chapter. Heeee. Between working, typing out a novel like mad, doing multiple tests at school, and playing Final Fantasy XII, I managed to get this up. Hurray! It took about five days to type up this time, which is odd, but anyways... enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Wake up, Naruto**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Exactly three days had passed. Naruto, much to everyone's disappointment, showed little signs of making a full recovery. He hadn't changed one bit. Word had leaked around Konohagakure of Kyuubi's possession over Naruto, stirring worry and unhappiness within the hearts of many. Those who knew the blond well, having either befriended him or fought alongside him, became Naruto's only defense against the ever-growing amount of upset villagers.

Ruler of Konohagakure with immense strength, the Hokage stood up occasionally for Naruto, despite what others said. Like promised, she spent large periods of time working to come up with a solution that would help Naruto, and things seemed to be working out quite well in her favor.

Free from a silly (and horrible) burden known as paperwork, Tsunade studied a thin piece of paper that was caught between her thumb and index finger. Light from a small lamp placed beside her was the only thing bright enough to see by in Tsunade's personal room that was located in Konoha's Hospital. A steel door, used regularly, opened quickly to reveal Shizune and Ton-Ton.

"Tsunade, is the seal complete?"

"Yes... it is."

Shizune stepped around stacks of medical books covering everything from diseases to the human heart. Tsunade's desk, the one she had sat behind only recently, was barely visible. Only the dim light from her lamp guided the way. Dodging another stack of mostly hardcover books, Shizune could finally look at the seal Tsunade had created.

"Do you think it'll work?" She asked while juggling Ton-Ton in her arms.

"I've put everything into it, of course it'll work." She went silent and stood back up, studying the seal made for Naruto. "But... we won't know that for sure until we try it out"

Shizune nodded. The Hokage left her book-cluttered room with her accomplice and went straight for the floor Naruto was stationed on.

It was time to put a positive turn on things.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Konohagakure stood out peacefully in the thick forest that surrounded it. Birds chirped happily, the air was warm, not a gust of wind was evident. The walls guarding Konoha stood as strong as ever, all thieves and crooks kept at bay, unable to make it over such high walls.

On a grass covered knoll, over looking all of Konohagakure, three figures stood within dim shadows that thin-branched trees created. Gaara, taking a small step forwards, gave the area around both himself and his sibling one last look before they moved on.

Tree after tree passed. Close to no conversations started among the siblings, they were here on business to help Naruto. They were serious. This time, things would go differently, Naruto had a higher chance of recovering and from Suna they brought only the best healing medicines.

Kankurou, now accompanying his siblings, had just finished a rather low ranked (what he considered 'low rank' anyways) and long mission. A small break was needed and when he found out of Naruto's 'illness', as Baki put it, he jumped at the chance to leave Sunagakure once more.

Having lived alongside Gaara, he witnessed firsthand what it was like to be a vessel for a terrifying creature. It was disturbing, unsafe, and made the person a total psychopath. Kankurou, though never withholding much knowledge of Naruto or being around enough for that matter, could _never_ picture the ambitious blond as a savage creature.

_Hopefully we'll get there in time, _he thought . _Or else, things are going to get ugly..._

Ahead of him, the tall, strong gates of Konohagakure came into view, protecting its village from any enemy attacks or intruders. Gaara, leading them onwards, made quick small talk with the sentries at Konoha's main entrance before they went straight for Naruto's hospital room. It wasn't long before the three sand siblings stood before the sturdy building, each mentally preparing for the worst.

Kankurou blanched as the smell that accompanied most, if not all hospitals, choked his lungs and assaulted his nostrils. He felt incredibly dizzy, trying hard to adjust to everything, but to no avail.

"Oh come on, don't be such a baby," Temari said, giving Kankurou a hard shove that sent him flying down the main hallway. She smirked and passed him as he stumbled to gain balance.

"You'll regret that!"

Gaara, who was far from his siblings, turned down the right corridors as they went the opposite way. He went for the only stairwell and after a short walk, Gaara found himself on the floor Naruto was being stationed on. Keeping him somewhere for 'special cases' didn't lighten the view people had of Naruto, if anything else it only made things worse.

Room 502 stood before the young Kazekage. He glanced down the hallway, left, right, and it was completely empty. Nobody was up here, the only thing that remained from before was dead silence. Quietly, as to not disrupt the silence, Gaara opened the door to Naruto's room and stepped inside.

Absolutely nothing changed since he had left. Gaara noticed that Naruto looked like he was unable to move, as if he was frozen in time, his face still twisted in the same way like it had been before. A few _'Get Well Soon'_ cards decorated the small night stand by the blond's bed and several small gift packages as well.

Gaara relocated the faded hospital chair, which had been pushed closely into a corner and, without even breathing a word, he summoned sand to push it towards him. But, unexpectedly, nothing happen. True, his sand was much weaker now, _and_ it disobeyed him many times in the past, but something just didn't feel right this time.

The door Gaara left open made a soft _creak._ The Kazekage spun around on the balls of his feet, his footwear making no sound at all.

"H-hello, Gaara."

Sakura stepped into the hospital room cautiously, not out of fear, but because she didn't want to disturb Naruto's sleep. Clasped between her hands was a small, finely packaged gift and it appeared as if someone put a tremendous amount of care into wrapping it. The kunoichi walked up to the blond's bed, succeeding in breaking down the fidgeting that arose from being under Gaara's emotionless gaze.

"You know," she said quietly, yet her words still echoed throughout the room. "Naruto has shown improvement since he became like this..." She unwrapped the small package delicately, careful not to rip anything, and gently pulled out a glistening yellow tulip. "This is my fault... that he ended up like this..." She placed the flower in a vase that had been placed on the night stand.

The silence that grew between them was unnerving. Sakura felt as if Gaara would kill her, now that she mentioned Naruto's conditioned was linked to her own mistakes. Gaara himself never moved, nor spoke. Had he been like before, with Shukaku overruling his thoughts, feelings, everything –he would've been angry and somewhat jealous of the attention Naruto was receiving. But now, things were different.

"This was inevitable, it's noone's fault but the demon sealed inside of him..."

Sakura nearly froze. She fully expected to be lashed out at. Then, before either ninja harboring great power could blink twice, a cloud of smoke appeared to reveal no other than Kakashi, the copy ninja.

Kakashi blinked, clearly not predicting that anyone could be in Naruto's room. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, greeting both ninja and briefly explaining himself, though he got the feeling that Gaara really didn't care what his excuses were. Moving slowly, Kakashi watched Naruto remain in his unconscious state, completely unaware of what was going on in the world around him.

"Gaara," Kakashi finally said, in a calm tone that he used often. "The seal that was placed on Naruto by the Fourth Hokage has weakened greatly. Now, as I'm sure you know already, Naruto doesn't give up that easily, but there are chances that.."

"Stop that nonsense, Kakashi!"

Everyone stopped and turned to see Tsunade and Shizune standing the doorway. Had it been anyone annoying and brash, Gaara would have sent them out immediately. There were too many people crowding him now.

"Alright, step aside," the Hokage commanded as both her and Shizune marched towards Naruto. "We've got something that'll work. Now, everyone please leave." Tsunade turned to the stoic Kazekage. "Welcome back, Gaara."

Gaara nodded but, unlike Kakashi and Sakura, he didn't budge. He was going to stay in the hospital room no matter what, not even the Hokage herself could force him to leave.

"Kazekage-sama, if you would please.."

"I'm sure he'd like to stay here, Shizune," Tsunade interjected.

Gaara made no comment, simply watching silently as Tsunade pulled out a thin slip of paper from a medical book Shizune handed her. He could tell that it was seal and strode over, interested in how things would turn out.

Tsunade nodded towards Shizune, who leaned over Naruto's bed and pulled down the thin layer of sheets, revealing tight bandaging around his stomach. She expertly and carefully unwound the thin strips of material, tossing each onto the floor where they would be picked up later. Underneath, from what Gaara could see, lay a fading seal circled by small burn marks.

"What are those from?" He asked, unable to help himself.

"When Shikamaru and Sakura placed special seals on Naruto to prevent his chakra from evolving, they burned his flesh underneath his clothing. He reacted negatively, that's what happened."

Gaara hardened his gaze, eyes narrowing considerably. He crossed his arms, staring at the burn marks on Naruto's stomach and then to the seal Tsunade held between her fingers delicately, as to prevent any damage.

"Will that do the same?"

"No, this seal is to put a barrier over the Kyuubi, it won't hurt him at all, but there is a chance that he might react in a way I haven't anticipated already."

"Everything is ready," Shizune informed both Tsunade and Gaara, still weary of the red head's presence.

Tsunade concentrated her chakra on the seal trapped between her fingers. It began to emit a green glow, drowning out the dim light pooling into the room from curtain covered windows. She went to place it on Naruto's stomach, but a pale hand snaked out and prevented her from moving.

"Kazekage-sama!" Shizune gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Let me do it."

Tsunade stopped the visible flow of chakra and smirked. "You have to be a trained medical ninja to do this." Gaara released his hold on her wrist and glared daggers at the seal.

"I'll do it."

Wearily, Tsunade handed over the seal. All hard work and time put into that single piece of material could possibly go to waste, but she knew Gaara had enough chakra control and enough knowledge to handle it properly.

"You need to concentrate all your chakra into the seal," Shizune instructed. Gaara quickly had a green glow dancing around the seal. "Now, you need to _carefully_ place it inside the seal that's already on his stomach."

Gaara lowered the seal. As soon as it touched the blond's flesh, the young Kazekage could feel his fingertips burning. He closed his eyes, focusing all his chakra to create a strong force, and pressed down harder onto the seal. Naruto began to move slowly and stiffly, then, with absolutely no warning, he sprang upwards as soon as Gaara finished successfully placing the seal inside the original one.

Sharp nails suddenly pierced through the clothing over Gaara's arms, ripping the pale flesh underneath. His sand never once acted up and warm droplets of blood seeped down his arm. It felt foreign, something he rarely experienced.

"I am _not_ a monster!" Naruto growled ferally, causing Gaara to draw back, but Naruto's grip on him was too strong.

"Naruto-kun!" Shizune yelled. "Stop it! Please!"

"Shizune, he can't hear you." Tsunade frowned and went to break Naruto away from Gaara, becoming slightly nervous from the sight of the blood that began to drip off of the Kazekage's hands. She stopped when Naruto's eyes opened up and crimson coloured pupils settled on her.

Naruto turned his head, as if it had been mechanically attached to his neck, and let go of Gaara. His hands fell down and only seconds later he collapsed entirely, unconscious yet again.

Gaara, his arms shaking slightly, stood up straight and glanced back at Naruto.

"It's alright now," Tsunade's voice filled the room. "Naruto is going to be just fine."

_**Continued in chapter 15!**_


	15. Enter darkness

Author Note: Kukukuku, I've got some evil surprises for everyone at the end of this chapter. There also might be some things people would consider spoilers, but whatever. I also received my first flame for this story, and my first in the longest time. No, this is not a yaoi fic, and yes, I do have a life and I enjoy writing serious fanfictions with a plot in mind. Anyways, here is the next chapter, and thanks to everyone that reviewed previously!

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XxXxXxXxXxX

Darkside

Enter darkness

XxXxXxXxXxX

Gaara stared dully at the blood dripping down his arms. Eyes vacant of any emotion, and of life as well it seemed, he was thinking of all the reasons why his sand had not acted up, it _always_ acted did before any harm could be done to his body. Maybe it saw no need to be overprotective anymore?

"Kazekage-sama, do you want any bandages?" Shizune asked quietly, looking shocked as she watched the blood trickle down Gaara's arm.

Gaara made no response, his eyes still locked on the wounds Naruto inflicted upon him. Tsunade, knowing well of Gaara's sand and its power, caught the bewildered expression that slowly formed on his face. She grabbed his right arm, the one that was injured the most, and pulled down the now stained sleeve, revealing small but deep incisions.

"You're simply low on chakra, that's all," she said as Gaara glanced at her oddly. "And it would be wise to let Shizune bandage you up as well."

"...I'm fine."

Tsunade flicked Gaara's arm away, sighing light heartedly. She held a finger up and waved it from side to side in front of her. "Just like Naruto." Then, she turned away and headed for the only exit to the empty hallway. "You can make sure the kid wakes up then, call for me when he does." And with that, both Tsunade and Shizune left.

Gaara pulled down his sleeve, grasping his arm where it hurt the most and strode over to the faded hospital chair. By now, the blood in Gaara's wounds had began to clot, the beginnings of small scabs formed a while later. His swollen skin wept each time he stretched his arms the slightest bit.

It felt weird to see Naruto act out in such a violent manner, to even cause someone harm without mentally knowing it. This must have been what the elders and council were so concerned about– that Naruto would turn into some bloodthirsty creature with no control over what he was doing. Naruto would never turn into that, it was impossible, it didn't seem like something imaginable. Kyuubi might have been able to succeed before, but now it was subdued once more. Naruto would be fine.

Gaara felt incredibly drained, especially after using such a great amount of his chakra. He almost, _almost_ fell asleep, the melodic _beep, beep, beeping_ that came from several medical devices lulled him into a state of drowsiness. It wasn't long before his eyes closed and sleep took a leap and crept upon him, a sensation Gaara never got quite used to. He fought to stay awake, fending off the sleep, but he gave in after a long struggle. Gaara slept for the first time in days.

The hospital door, which Tsunade closed earlier, slowly cracked open, just enough for a slim figure to slip through. Sakura stepped in, another tulip she bought from Ino's family flower shop clasped between her hands. Quietly, she tip-toed closer and closer to the night stand by Naruto's bed, careful not to wake Gaara, afraid that he may get upset. She maneuvered around the sleeping Kazekage, placing the tulip Ino herself asked to be brought to Naruto in an already occupied vase.

She stepped backwards, noticing discarded bandages strewn about under Naruto's bed and picked them up. Sakura, now with an armful of the used bandages, walked as silently as she could and dumped them in a small waste basket. The room was rather pale so the kunoichi busied herself with opening Naruto's only window, visibly wincing as it made a loud _screech._

Sakura spun around, her eyes darting from Gaara to Naruto, hoping with all her heart that she hadn't woken either of them. Naruto began to mumble incoherent words and within seconds Sakura was at his bedside, panic rising like lave from inside her stomach. Was he alright?

"You are really loud."

Sakura jumped, nearly screaming, as Gaara's calm yet slightly annoyed voice cut through the hospital room like a sharp razor. His eyes were only opened to form small slits and he was slumped back in his chair, something Sakura had only seen Tsunade do before.

"I'm sorry to have woken you," she apologized just as Naruto began moving from within his bed.

Gaara sat up in a flash, traveling from his chair to the occupied hospital bed in mere seconds. His speed was astounding, Sakura noticed, but she too was more concerned about her friend than anything and rushed to Naruto, leaning over him and looking for any serious injuries.

"His response to the seal isn't bad, there are no signs of burning, bruising, or anything else," she inquired, studying the seal to make sure she was right. "Naruto is going to be awake soon! I'll go get Tsunade-sensei and Shizune!"

Gaara nodded, watching Naruto closely as he showed signs of waking up. Sakura bounded out of the room, her legs carrying her at high speeds down several hospital floors as she searched for Tsunade and Shizune.

Back in room 502, Naruto slowly began to open his eyes. Gaara stood over him now, trying to convince himself that everything was finally alright, but it wasn't helping very much. Naruto shut his eyes just as they were about to open, then, nearly smashing into Gaara, he sprang awake.

"Whoa!" He yelled. "Where am I?" Then, turning to his right, he noticed the young Kazekage and jumped back, confused and surprised at the same time. "Gaara? What are you doing here? What's going on?"

So he doesn't remember anything. Gaara stepped back and frowned as Naruto tried to pull himself out of the bed, oblivious to what happened and the wounds on his stomach. It was clear that Naruto didn't feel as much pain as he should, somehow only making things worse for the blond.

"You really shouldn't be moving," Gaara said as Naruto looked at him strangely. "Your stomach, it is injured."

Naruto looked down and his face bunched up automatically. He saw the burn marks, the new seal, and everything connected like one big puzzle inside Naruto's head. He slumped back down and turned on his side, away from Gaara, looking at nothing but a blank wall. The room fell eerily and uncomfortably quiet.

"So what happened this time...?" The blond asked, his voice hoarse, never once did he blink.

Gaara was stumped. He felt rather... guilty for pointing out what happened so suddenly, and he was never one to lighten the mood. He was at a loss, but hesitantly moved to the other side of Naruto's bed.

"What happened wasn't your fault," he stated while leaning against the wall Naruto had been staring at. Distant blue eyes looked up at him questioningly, putting Gaara on the spot. "You are... not the one to blame..."

Naruto pushed himself back up and laughed but it only turned into violent coughing. Gaara pushed himself away from the wall as crimson was spat out from Naruto's mouth, unsure if the blond was really alright or just there to say good-bye before Kyuubi took over. The door Sakura didn't bother to close in her rush to find Tsunade _creaked_ loudly open and in stepped all three medic kunoichi, each looking worried.

Naruto was swarmed and Gaara was nearly pushed out of the way. Sakura held the blond up by the back as Tsunade checked over the seal she had made herself. Shizune, quickly writing down small, scratchy notes, noticed Gaara and pointed towards the door with her pen.

"Kazekage-sama, I'm afraid you'll have to leave for the moment. We'll find you when we're.."

"No," Naruto interrupted, startling everyone. "I want him to stay..."

Shizune looked to Tsunade, whom waved her hand. "It's alright, he shouldn't be too much trouble, I'm sure."

Gaara remained silent during the brief check up made on Naruto, his arms crossed over his chest like usual. When everything was finished and the door shut, Naruto jumped out of bed and went straight for the presents that had been given to him by his friends and other citizens of Konohagakure that cared about his health.

"Alright! Instant ramen from Iruka-sensei!" He opened up presents sent to him by Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, Ten-Ten, Lee, Kakashi, Sakura, and even something from Jiraiya (though on the tag it said Naruto owed him money for the gift).

Completely opened presents and several piles of wrapping paper later, Naruto found himself with nothing to do and an empty stomach to accompany his boredom. Gaara tossed all the wrapping paper in the garbage, filling it to the top, and walked back to Naruto just as loud rumbling noises echoed all around.

"Oops." Naruto looked down at his stomach and sheepishly smiled. "I guess... I'm kind of hungry." He went to the open window and was about to jump out but Gaara simply pulled him back inside the building.

"The Hokage said you have to wait five days before moving, remember?"

"Old lady Tsunade _always_ says that." Naruto tried to flee once more, but Gaara gave him a warning glare. "It's only for ramen, I swear! And besides, it won't take _that_ long, I'll be back before you know it!"

Gaara, having rested and regained most of his chakra, simply summoned his sand, guiding Naruto back to his bed on a platform of concentrated minerals. The blond crossed his arms and began to pout, his stomach growling ferally.

"This isn't fair, you know!"

Naruto was placed carefully back down, never once did he move from his position. When he could smell the musty white hospital sheets underneath him, an idea made itself known, one that could be his ticket out of here. It was rather mean, especially to someone that was concerned, but he was _hungry._

Gaara felt satisfied with himself and went to sit back down when Naruto suddenly fell backwards in his bed, dead silent and unmoving. He rushed over and saw the hospitalized boy wasn't even breathing, from what he could see, and looked pale. Gaara reached out to tap Naruto, his mind spinning rapidly, when the blond jumped up, causing the young Kazekage to stumble backwards.

"Ha! Gotcha!"

Naruto headed straight for the window, which was quite a predictable move, and came to a halt when a pillar of sand blocked his escape route. He sighed and sat against the wall underneath the only (and now blocked) window.

"You are a big fat cheater!" He slumped down more, his chin resting against his chest.

Gaara slowly made his way over and stared down at Naruto, something identical to a smirk tugging on his pale lips. "And you like to _almost_ scare people." Naruto just stared at the ground blankly as his stomach roared on. Gaara sat down across from the blond, startling him. "What do you want to eat?"

Naruto lifted his head and beamed. "Ramen!" Then his expression changed and he scowled bitterly. "But _not_ hospital food. That's _disgusting!_"

****

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Don't worry, I'll take care of Suna," a rather perky voice echoed throughout the dark cave where four of Akatsuki's members were gathered. "I'll make it a piece of art!"

Deidara smirked, hoping to get some revenge on the large desert city, though it would only be a distraction. Beside him were Kisame and Itachi, both stoic and completely silent.

"Excellent, now, Itachi, Kisame, you two head for Konohagakure. That brat with the nine tails will be ours..."

Nothing more than a shadow, the leader of Akatsuki gave out instructions. He now had all demons except for the Kyuubi under his grasp and, in no time, the nine tails would be his as well.

"Alright everyone," his deep, mysterious voice echoed around. "Head out and finish this as soon as possible or it will be your heads!"

Barely visible, Deidara, Itachi, and Kisame departed. It was time to finally get what they were striving to achieve all along.

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Continued in chapter 16!


	16. Kidnapped

Author Note: I'm really hating the internet. It died... again. But, aside from that, I was one of many winners in the world-wide novel writing contest, whooo! It was fun to be under the pressure to dish out over 50,000 words in thirty days. Now, for some not so very good news. Sadly, this story is nearing the end, there's about three chapters left and some sneaky little evil twists here and there. However, why not just sit back and read what's new? Enjoy!

Thanks to the reviewers from the last chapter as well!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**Kidnapped**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

His hunger was finally put to rest. It was not hunger for blood, violence, or even wealth. It was his hunger for ramen. And, after several bowls of the delectable food, Naruto then decided that he could spare some time resting. After all, there was nothing better to sooth a bloated stomach than just sitting back and relaxing.

Gaara, who had made the mistake of only buying one bowl of ramen from Ichiraku, now sat in disbelief at how much food Naruto could scoff down and the rather large hole in his pocket. He was officially broke.

Naruto lay back down in his hospital bed, ramen bowls stacked evenly on each side, causing the blond to feel like he was living in a toy castle of some sort. His stomach no longer growled as it had been doing previously, something Naruto was thankful for. He hoped his wallet carried enough money to eventually pay Gaara back.

"Hee, hee. Sorry about that!" He lightly patted his stomach and winced as red hot pain bolted all throughout his body. Normally, his wounds healed quickly but this time nothing seemed to happen. Nothing at all.

Naruto rolled onto his side, ramen bowls facing him, and unintentionally grabbed his stomach as it once again delivered pain. Before, he felt Kyuubi's power surging through him like a river of fire, but now it seemed distant– so far away that he couldn't tell if it even existed anymore.

Gaara moved his fingers as sand danced around them and sent a small wave of the soft minerals toward the empty ramen bowls, moving each stack carefully into the same corner Gaara's chair had been placed in earlier. Naruto didn't even move, the burning sensation was too overwhelming, almost crippling.

"Hey... Gaara?"

It was silent, short seconds felt as if they took forever to pass. Naruto felt certain that Gaara wouldn't answer, or perhaps he left in search of something better to do. Quiet footsteps reached Naruto's ears, headed in his direction, nearly undetectable.

Gaara was perfectly skilled at moving around quietly, defending himself, killing others; however, he was _not_ skilled at dealing with other people. A 'silent observer', not a trained psychologist– Gaara felt rather unprofessional at this, having been so used to ignoring such problems. But, there was a time and a place to try something new, it would just have to happen here.

Naruto tilted his head upwards, crystal blue eyes targeting the wall behind the hospital bed that grew oh so uncomfortable and, seemingly out of nowhere, Gaara appeared. The blond blinked once, or so he took into account, half surprised that the young Kazekage hadn't left completely.

A connection they shared, though neither knew of it before, was that of unimaginable suffering and rejection. Not a very swell connection, but they both endured the impossible, similar feelings, situations, and both harboured similar power that others shunned. But now there was something Naruto could not relate to, something that thinned out their connection.

"What is it like to have no monster inside of you?" The question slipped off his tongue unintentionally, but it had to be asked sooner or later.

The question struck Gaara, rendering him wordless. What _did_ it really feel like anyway? A small amount of respect, less cold and disrespectful glares, more recognition, but did it really matter? Gaara's mind usually circulated around the good of Sunagakure, not his own personal feelings. He didn't have time for such things, but Naruto was different in that aspect.

"It is... a change," he said, then added: "But not much of one..."

Naruto smiled slightly, his first genuine smile in what seemed like forever. Gaara was rather confused. Why would he be so happy? The young Kazekage stood alone even more now, shouldn't he be upset? Angry at him?

"That sounds nice..." Naruto sat back up, scrunching his face in pain as the muscles in his back stretched just a little too much. "I think I'm better now."

Gaara was baffled. "You're hardly fit for moving around."

Naruto liked to prove himself right– it was a trait that he held since childhood. Giving up seemed impossible, no matter what the situation, and he wasn't backing down, the pain couldn't stop him. Gaara personally witnessed Naruto's determination several times so, as the blond struggled to get out of bed, he wasn't very surprised.

"You are going to fall..."

And Naruto did just that, landing on his feet only to gain half the balance he needed to remain upward, then fell face first into a bed of soft sand. His teeth felt extremely gritty after, but he went uninjured, only spurting up small amounts of sand.

"Heh, I guess you were right."

Sand began to swirl around Naruto's arms, hissing almost soothingly to his sore ears. It heaved him up effortlessly, dancing in mid air and receded back to Gaara once the blond's feet were planted steadily on the cold floor. Immediately, Naruto made another daring escape and once more he was stopped.

"Come on Gaara! I'm going to leave sooner or later, so why not let me go now?"

Naruto was the most persistent person in the entire universe, Gaara discovered then, and he constantly strived to push himself down the path of life. As the blond began to plead, inching closer to the door, Gaara thought of everything that could possibly happen while Naruto was on the loose. There weren't many positive things floating through his mind.

"...No."

Glaring blue eyes shot daggers toward him. Gaara knew plans of escape were circulating through Naruto's thought pool, perhaps another fake death or two. Like the blond, he held his ground, refusing to be beaten back and both ninja soon found themselves wrapped up in a glaring contest to the death.

Things like this were quite simple for Gaara _and_ Naruto. Their battle was evenly matched until sand began to dance against Naruto's skin, making it harder for him to concentrate properly. The blond bit his lip, his eyes dying to move yet they were frozen still and he silently hoped they stayed like that.

Naruto was sure he had won the evenly matched fight. He felt like laughing but when he actually did– not from his victory, but because Gaara's sand was _tickling_ him– he knew then that everything was over. Gaara had won. He _cheated!_

"Just this once! I promise I'll be right back!" Naruto pleaded, trying to mask his unserious expression, but failed.

"Fine..."

Naruto smiled and went for the door, not a single grain of sand held him back. "This will be our little secret, alright?" He opened the door and fell down when he came face to face with three unfamiliar ninja. "Who _are_ you guys?"

No introductions were made. Each ninja passed by Naruto, not even sparing him a glance, and stood before Gaara, bowing down respectfully. They whispered (purposely) so that their words were incoherent to Naruto. The blond, now curious as to what was happening, noticed Gaara's expression harden and his eyes flash with anger.

Something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked wearily, standing back up (with the help of Gaara's sand), afraid of what the answer may be. "What's going on?"

Gaara walked up to Naruto, the three ninja positioned behind him, and said in a low voice: "Sunagakure is being attacked." Naruto's eyes widened and he was about to leave to gather some supplies when Gaara grabbed his arm. "Stay here."

The door shut moments after, closing Naruto off from his freedom as he stared blankly at the interior of his room. Hurried footsteps echoed down the hallways and once they faded completely, Naruto went to his window, lazily looking down upon Konohagakure.

Only a few minutes passed, Naruto figured, before sharp knocking on his door snapped him out of his vacant stupor. He opened it, expecting Gaara or maybe Tsunade to be there, but all he saw were two tall figures before everything went as black as the night.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Deidara laughed as howling wind whirled all around him. He managed to make one more homing missel out of finely constructed clay, sending it into Sunagakure's strong sand and mud walls. So far, nobody had been eliminated –as planned– and from what he could see while floating on his crafted bird, Gaara was on his way.

_Perfect._

Thick plumes of dust polluted the air as Deidara blasted another hole through Suna's thick walls, damaging them tremendously. He was enjoying himself beyond imagination, watching as people ran about like the little ants he saw them as. When he was finished, this place would be a perfect picture of destruction.

A piece of art.

"Another explosion here, a hole there, then it'll be exactly how I want it! How wonderful!"

Hissing– the sound that reminded Deidara of the loss he endured involving his arm (the other had been injured by the idiots from Konohagakure), slowly surrounded him and as soon as he flinched, a wave of sand shot outwards. He reeled back, barely able to dodge the attack and laughed coldly as Gaara stared murderously up at him.

"Looks like we meet again," Deidara cooed, flipping his bangs out of his face. "But this time, you're in the wrong place, I'm afraid." The hardened expression on Gaara's face was clearly visible and made the Akatsuki member laugh more. "Oh, you don't know about it, yeah."

Gaara unwrapped his crossed arms and prepared for another fight with the artist of Akatsuki, standing up straight on his platform of floating sand. He knew not of what Deidara was talking about, but something was terribly amiss.

"What are you babbling about?"

Deidara laughed again as more sand shot his way. "Poor, childish Kazekage is too late, for his little friend that is!"

All confusion dropped like a boulder into a deep lake as Gaara pieced everything together. Anger gripped him and the sand acted out, surround Deidara. Sunagakure wasn't the target this time, it had been used merely as a distraction. His sand aimed to kill, but Deidara left and all explosions ceased.

Gaara clenched his fists and immediately returned to a panicking Sunagakure, shouting out orders, and gathering likely leaders to monitor the village, and set back off to Konoha.

Naruto was in danger.

_**Continued in chapter 17!**_


	17. To Akatsuki

Author Note: I updated early. Yay! My reason for this isn't very good though, you see, I need all new wiring outside of my house and the internet comes and goes, usually staying on the days when there isn't much wind, which is pretty damn rare in the prairies. Aside from that, this chapter is going to lead up to the evil stuff, though it is rather short. A big thanks goes out to the wonderful reviewers and their awesome feedback! You guys make my day, with or without internet!

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_**Darkside**_

**To Akatsuki**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Tsunade entered th hospital, Shizune and Sakura on either side of her. Naruto would obviously be plotting some scheme or another that would grant him freedom. Sadly, they were here to stop Naruto's actions that would lead him to trouble... again. The main doors shut behind Tsunade and her followers, shutting them off from outside and throwing them into an absolute mess, a great shock to each kunoichi.

Papers littered the ground, desks, everything. Broken clipboards were strewn about carelessly, no longer of use to anyone; the silence gripped the building, strangling it powerfully. Sakura, gasping as she eyed the mess, wasted no time standing around and jumped over Konoha Hospital's main reception desk, stumbling upon two unconscious nurses.

"There's two bodies back here!" She shouted, though it was hardly necessary in such a hauntingly silent place.

Tsunade rushed over as Shizune wandered further down the main hallway, checking for the pulse of each nurse and delivering her verdict.

"It appears as if they were knocked out quickly, and just recently too." She looked around for any signs of bruising or cuts. "Whoever did this, they used pressure points to render them unconscious."

Shizune bounded toward them, breathing heavily as she ran down the entire length of the hallway– a great distance to travel for anyone. "All patients are safe! The staff here seem to have been put into a state of sleep and there is nobody around here at all!" She inhaled deeply. "What could've happened?"

Sakura stared at the only unbroken clipboard, her eyes widening as worry flowed through her veins. It was Naruto's file, unbroken, with a set of fresh finger prints standing out sorely amidst the small print.

"Naruto!"

The kunoichi ran as fast as she could, traveling through a mess of stretchers, fallen nurses, torn papers, and headed towards room 502. Her lungs wept but Sakura pressed onwards, running tiredly up one flight of stairs after the other. At last, after much of her strength had been exerted, Sakura reached the 'special cases' ward and almost collapsed.

Room 502 looked normal, as if nothing happened, but that's what Sakura wanted to believe with all her heart. The door stood slightly ajar, one of its hinges broken completely off and inside there was absolutely no trace of Naruto, nothing but a few grains of sand that lead to something else.

Gaara.

Sakura nearly jumped. What was he doing here? Did he do all of this? _Wait, then where is Naruto?_ She stepped forwards, standing fully inside room 502, biting her lip as Gaara turned around sharply, his pupils dilated with anger dancing dangerously within them.

"What happened?" She finally managed to choke out. "W-where's Naruto?"

Gaara faced Naruto's empty bed, away from Sakura, clenching his fist as sand spilled out, landing loudly on the ground with a _hiss_. He arrived too late, and even worse, he had been the one to make Naruto stay in his room. This was entirely his fault.

"He is... gone." Those were the only words that could possibly escape his mouth, unless he wanted to unleash his anger on a confused person. Surely he could grit out some more, and so he _tried._ "Akatsuki... they took him..."

Sakura didn't even get a chance to react before Tsunade, followed by Shizune, burst through the doorway, concern gracing their facial expressions. Gaara paid no mind to either kunoichi, his mind spinning hazardously, and walked towards what had been Naruto's first escape route. A series of explosions came from the large gates of Konohagakure, _they_ were the ones trying to escape this time.

"Akatsuki is leaving," he said. "...Naruto is with them."

Tsunade's face bunched up in anger as the words Gaara had spoken sank deeply within her heart and mind. There was no time to stop the young Kazekage from actions she knew he would take and, disappearing out of the window, Gaara went straight for the explosions that shook Konohagakure.

"Shizune," she spoke loudly, her voice as sharp as a blade. "We're going to assemble a team of ninja, preferably _now._ Akatsuki won't get away with Naruto!"

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Shikamaru stood alongside several Konoha ninja that had went to the same academy as himself. Now was not the time to sigh, or look at the clouds all afternoon, but it was time to worry even more for the fate of a one Uzumaki Naruto. Time for him was running low.

"Listen up everyone!" Tsunade's loud voice reached the ears of many. "Your mission is to retrieve Naruto from the clutches of Akatsuki, _no matter what!_ This is important, please hurry!"

Kankurou and Temari, both among those that had been called upon– though they came more on their own free will than anything– looked around for Gaara, hoping he was near by. They heard of what happened at Sunagakure, it was dirty, foul trick. Now Gaara had two things eating away at him– this wasn't going to turn out to be all sunshine and rainbows.

Beside the two sand siblings, one either side, stood Lee, Neji, Kiba, and Sakura. Each maintained a stoic facade, one that could easily hide their emotions. This mission was like no other, it wouldn't be easy. Standing behind the line of Chuunin and Juunin were Kakashi and Gai, both looking casual, calm and collected.

"Now," Tsunade said fiercely, standing in front of everyone. "Go! Your mission begins!"

Nothing but fast movement and blurs could be seen as each ninja departed, heading for Konohagakure's walls where Akatsuki was bound to appear. Temari and Kankurou were having difficulties in locating their younger brother, he probably beat everyone to the bad guys, fighting to free Naruto as Naruto had fought to get Gaara back from their evil clutches.

Absolutely no time wasted away, each second was used to further reach the strong walls protecting Konoha. Shikamaru, along with Kakashi and Gai, followed the other from behind, jumping from rooftop to rooftop only seconds after everyone ahead landed on separate buildings. After a few minutes, both Chuunin and Juunin arrived at a gapping hole where three figures stood, surrounded by a smoldering cloud of smoke.

"I wonder who they are," Lee whispered to Sakura as the line of ninja remained silent, each looking for a proper opportunity to attack.

"I don't know, but we've got to be careful," the kunoichi replied.

Kankurou stepped ahead of everyone, his figure blocking out the unmasked people in front of Neji, Kiba, and Sakura. "The one closer to us is Gaara, I know it is."

"_Shhhh,_" Shikamaru warned. "Listen."

Different voices drifted through the smoke, barely audible. Kiba, with his advanced hearing and with the help of Akamaru– informed everyone of what was going on.

"The smaller one is demanding that they hand over Naruto." Akamaru barked quietly, as if to shadow Kiba's words. "And the two big guys keep on talking about Jinchuuriki and Akatsuki... wait! The small one is going to attack!"

Everyone rushed over instantly, Temari and Kankurou running ahead. The smoke cleared away, revealing Gaara, whose expression was the complete opposite of happy, and two members of Akatsuki.

Itachi and Kisame.

Sand rose from the ground, surrounding Gaara as it danced hysterically in midair. He simply narrowed his eyes, eyes full of anger, and the sand lashed out, wrapping itself around both Akatsuki member's legs. Shocking everyone, save for Kakashi and Gai, and even Gaara himself, the sand was pushed back, having no effect whatsoever.

"Aw, is that the best you've got?" Kisame, smirking manically, said, his sword slung over his shoulder effortlessly. "I'd expect much more from a _Kazekage._"

"Hey! Don't talk about Gaara like that!" Temari opened her fan, revealing all three moons, and attacked with powerful gusts of razor sharp wind, each dodged by Kisame and Itachi.

"It's no use," Kankurou sighed. "They're just too damn strong!"

Gaara attacked with his sand again, only to have it beaten back once more, this time with Kisame's unique sword. He wouldn't give up, not now, not this time.

"Kisame," Itachi's cold, emotionless voice swept over everyone. "We've got no reason to fight here, let's go."

The tall missing-nin looked disappointed, but remained happy with the nice prize they had captured. He smirked, especially cold towards Gaara, and together both himself and Itachi disappeared in a whirl of leaves with an unconscious Naruto held under his right arm.

Everyone but Shikamaru, Temari, and Kankurou knew where to go next.

"We're going to Akatsuki, to their lair," Kakashi said seriously. No one argued and without any arguments, they set off in search of Naruto.

**_Continued in chapter 18!_**


	18. The face off

Author Note: Instead of updating on the usual date, I decided to update a day early. My internet is FINALLY fixed, so there shouldn't be any problems now. Oh, and just to let everyone know, this is the _second last chapter of Darkside_. Yes, that means the next update will be the last and gosh, I'm loving all the awesome reviews you wonderful reviewing-people have given me. Thanks so much! Enjoy!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**The face off**

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Amidst thick foliage, sticking out like a giant, stood the cave Akatsuki occupied. It had been repaired long since Gaara's abduction– the main area rebuilt without any trouble and their secret project had been hidden even further in the powerful darkness the cave harboured. They were one step away from finishing what they started... Naruto was the key to their success and there was noone who could stop them either.

Except for several ninja from both Suna and Konohagakure.

Gaara faced the tall rock structure, arms crossed painfully across his chest and his wounds flared to life as he began to formulate a plan. They were down one ninja; Kakashi went to find Jiraiya back at Konohagakure, so their numbers were in the negative. Kiba, from what he witnessed during the Chuunin exams, had the right techniques to cut through the cave entrance, but Gaara knew Akatsuki wouldn't warmly welcome anyone.

"This is as far as we go," Gai said, both hands placed on his hips while he stared up at the tall slab of rock preventing their entrance. He studied it for what seemed like an eternity, then pointed to his enthusiastic subordinate. "Lee! Give that wall a lesson it'll remember!"

Fuzzy Eyebrows, as Naruto called him, looked confused for only a few seconds before he obeyed. A swift kick to Akatsuki's door ended up with a large crack bolting down the center of it, surprising Lee, who had previous experience here and knew Akatsuki set up barrier seals; however, this time there were no barriers at all.

"Good work, Lee!"

"Thank you Gai-sensei!"

Neji narrowed his eyes, not out of jealously, but simply because he _knew_ something wasn't right here. Last time, Akatsuki placed seals that were spread out for miles to purposely split everyone apart so they would be ambushed and slaughtered. A trap, no doubt, was probably set up on the other side, but he could see through it without and problem.

_Byakugan_

Through Akatsuki's large makeshift stone door, Neji saw nothing out of the ordinary, almost as if it was abandoned. He looked further, scanning the thick darkness with his all powerful eyes... there it was! A large, monstrous thing stood tall, nearly touching the roof of the cave and, as Neji looked closer, he discovered what could only be Kisame and Itachi kneeling before the large figure. Naruto was sprawled out in front of the two Akatsuki members, completely unconscious and never once did he move.

"Naruto is in there," he said calmly.

Gaara turned slowly around and merely glanced at Neji, then faced the cave entrance, his sand itching to act out and break through, but Gaara knew he wasn't strong enough to do such a thing. He couldn't let Naruto die, they didn't have anyone powerful enough to bring him back from the dead, and Gaara himself would not be able to rescue his friend alone. He felt so... so... _weak._

"Leave the rest to me!" Kiba shouted as he jumped off Akamaru's back (his companion had grown over the years). "_Jujin Bushin!_" Two gnarled looking Kibas appeared and at the same time they bounded toward Akatsuki's door. _"Gatsuuga!"_

Gaara jumped out of the way, having stood directly in front of Kiba's target once upon a time, and landed beside his siblings as large chipped-off rocks littered the ground. The redhead watched on with everyone else as Lee's damage multiplied tenfold as Kiba and Akamaru furthered the crack, breaking the solid stone door in half.

"Ha! Alright! Good job, Akamaru!"

Kiba landed in front of his handy work as Akamaru reverted back and they both studied the opening to Akatsuki's cave. The large white dog began to growl fiercely, the hairs standing up on his long back, and his teeth were barred dangerously.

"There's something... _really_ evil inside there," Kiba warned sternly, facing everyone with a serious and concerned look etched upon his face. "Akamaru can sense it. We better hurry."

"Everyone listen up!" Gai's voice boomed in the eerie silence around them. "Proceed with _extreme caution_! Akatsuki is not something to take lightly. Be prepared for an attack _at all times._ Nobody leaves until we get Naruto out of there!"

Lee saluted and everyone, including Gaara, nodded in understanding. Sakura took out one of her kunai, as did Shikamaru and Neji– each ninja possessing a strong grasp over their deadly weapon of choice. Gaara, along with Temari and Kankurou, readied themselves, their sharp reflexes which served as a key to winning any battle due to their large weapons. Their tools of trade were not small, sharp objects, but something more.

Kiba took the lead, though Gaara had clearly planned on doing that instead, and directed the group of well skilled ninja into Akatsuki's lair. Darkness engulfed them, dulling their senses, making everyone feel on edge, yet they still pressed on. They were determined to find Naruto.

Gaara let his sand snake out, ahead of Kiba, and searched for anything that might be dangerous to them; however, the sand found nothing.

Neji used his Byakugan to scope out his surroundings while those with no guidance in the dark scrambled around, hoping they didn't run into anything nasty. The Hyuuga stopped abruptly, just as Itachi and Kisame came into view as Lee nearly knocked him over.

"Stop," he hissed. Everyone fell silent.

"It's about time you get this finished," a deep voice not recognizable to anyone present snaked up the walls of the cave. Sakura shivered at how brutal and cold it sounded. Whoever or whatever that voice belonged to, it was a thing of terrible power.

As everyone slowly inched closer to where Naruto was being kept, small tendrils of light seeped through cracks in the ceiling, allowing the hidden ninja to see what lay before them. A large, beastly lifeless creature towered over Itachi and Kisame. At the base of it lay Naruto, oblivious as to what was happening, his eyes shut loosely.

"You better do this right, I'll be back later," the voice said coldly.

Itachi and Kisame sat down, cross-legged, and formed hand seals from inside their long, colourful coats as a deafening silence fell upon the entire cave. Soft green light formed around Naruto and his eyes shot open, the silence shattering like fragile glass.

"Ahhhhhhh! _Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_"

Gaara felt his nails dig into the palms of his hands numbly, the sand never once preventing him from doing so, and soon he was able to feel droplets of blood pool into his palm where it then slowly dripped onto the cold floor. He couldn't stand watching this.

Why wasn't anyone doing something?

Temari turned to Gaara, but he wasn't there. She squinted her eyes, panic rising tremendously from inside of her, and found him running towards both Akatsuki members without a care, his sand swirling around him like a tornado.

"_Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!_"

Naruto's screaming echoed through Gaara's head, muffling out the sound of his blood pounding in his ears. He wanted to kill those men for what they were doing, it wasn't right and Naruto didn't deserve to have such a painful thing happen to him.

Itachi held his hand formation, never moving an inch, and simply turned his head as Gaara charged toward him. He blinked one and within seconds his crimson eyes were revealed. Gaara froze immediately afterwards, mid-step, his entire body paralyzed as Itachi's Sharingan trapped him within its incredible and deadly power.

"Gaara!" Temari and Kankurou yelled in union.

"_Ahhhhhhhhhhh!_"

Naruto's screams sounded less and less painful. Gaara could barely hear anything now, he felt like he was being pulled from his body slowly, as if on purpose. Pain snaked through him, starting from his temples. It was crippling and he couldn't move to stop it. Itachi moved to the left, revealing Naruto, so that Gaara witnessed the life– and Kyuubi– being drained from the blond's injured body.

"It looks like the little runt can't be helped, how sad," Kisame remarked, still concentrated on his work. He suddenly jumped backwards, as did Itachi, breaking their spell on Naruto.

Kunai rained down where both Akatsuki members had once sat, each aimed expertly, and would have killed them had they been any other ninja. The green flow surrounding Naruto evaporated, his screaming completely stopped. Gaara was freed from his frozen state and fell down, his entire body shaking uncontrollably– he couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried.

Itachi looked up at the ceiling, his unemotional eyes scanning the darkness. He ignored several of the ninja– Lee, Neji, and Kiba– that ran at him and, in mere seconds, he emptied his hands of multiple shuriken that had been hidden under his long sleeves. A figure fell down, hidden in the darkness, turning into a finely cut log. The ninja up there were toying with him.

Temari and Kankurou ran for their younger sibling but were fended off by Kisame, his deadly sword nearly turning them into small bite sized pieces. They jumped backwards, where Shikamaru analyzed their situation and not too long after, the ninja whom charged Itachi appeared, uninjured but out of breath.

Realizing no attacks would be made by their hidden assailants, Itachi swiftly moved to grab Naruto as a hostage, but before he even had a chance to turn the tables, a whirl of leaves appeared. Someone jumped down from behind him, putting Itachi in a somewhat difficult position. It bothered him not, he could handle anything.

Jiraiya shielded Naruto, his eyes narrowed to small slits. He was prepared to face these most well known and dangerous opponents. Kakashi took out one of his kunai, holding it in front of him, and revealed his hidden eye. They weren't going to let Akatsuki get off so easily, especially with Itachi and Kisame around.

It was time to put an end to this.

_**Continued in chapter 19, the last chapter of Darkside!**_


	19. The feeling of acceptence

Author Note: Dun, dun, dun! The finale of Darkside has finally arrived. It was great and much fun to write and I _really_ enjoyed all the awesome reviews that so many people have given me, you guys are so freakin' awesome! And so, without anymore interruptions, here is the last chapter of Darkside! Enjoy all you lovely people!

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_**Darkside**_

**The feeling of acceptance **

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Gaara struggled to pull himself up. With Kisame's back to him and Itachi surrounded, he had a chance to get Naruto, but his body was still shaking. The blond wasn't too far away from Gaara, only about two meters separated them, making it possible for his sand to reach Naruto and lift him from behind Kisame. But the swordsman wouldn't let him by that easily.

Jiraiya, standing in front of Naruto's body, saw Gaara's darkened form slip and fall each time he tried to get back up. Then, his sharp eyes noticed tendrils of sand creeping forward, using the dark as a disguise, headed straight for Naruto. _Just what the hell is that kid thinking?_ It didn't take long until Gaara's sand passed over Jiraiya's feet, a low _hissing_ noise accompanying it, and began to wrap around the blond. _He's not thinking straight, it'll _never _work._

Kisame heard small pebbles shift near his feet and looked down, spotting a small wave of sand sneaking past him. He smirked, raising the heavy sword from his shoulder and instead of breaking the sand apart, he threw the dangerous weapon directly at Gaara.

"Watch out!" Sakura yelled, immediately catching on to Kisame's intentions from her spot beside Lee and Shikamaru.

Gaara pulled himself up and fell backwards just as Kisame's sword landed where he had been positioned only moments ago. Air hitched in his lungs and his heart pounded loudly as he stared at the large weapon, missing his death by mere centimeters. Gaara pushed backwards, pivoting his feet into the cold ground when Kisame appeared, a smug and somewhat accomplished look spreading on his face.

"Gaara!" It was Temari. "Get out of there!"

Kisame grabbed the handle of his weapon and pulled it upward, small rocks lifting up with it, stuck within the now torn bandages on the sword. Gaara thought that perhaps his life would end there and then, but as Kisame raised the heavy weapon once more, he knew that it was not to kill him, only to block an attack made by Neji.

Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal. Kisame added extra weight to his weapon, then jumped back, but was quickly countered by Neji, catching him off guard while in mid air. They landed near Itachi, each skidding to a halt, using their weapons as brakes and immediately continued their assault on one another. Neji's Byakugan played as a major trump card in the fight.

Itachi averted his eyes from Kakashi during their deadly staring contest for only a millisecond, but that was a good enough cue to attack. Kakashi tied transparent string to his kunai and threw it past Itachi, pulling down hard so the sharp weapon would hit its target in the back. Itachi didn't move at all, it was quite a predictable move so he simply used his last shuriken to knock Kakashi's blade in a different direction.

Kakashi pulled away and just like he expected, Itachi came at him. He kicked out at the deadly Uchiha as a distraction, then threw his kunai directly towards those dangerous eyes many feared and hated. His aim was accurate, the kunai struck Itachi, or so Kakashi hoped.

Itachi fell to the ground, face up, eyes closed. Cautiously, Kakashi approached, his only open eye looking closely for any signs of life, though he knew that simply scratching an Akatsuki member's face did _not_ mean they were dead. Once he was almost above the missing-nin, Kakashi jumped back suddenly as Itachi sprang up, his eyes stained crimson, the sharingan completely activated.

The cave swirled out of focus, a world almost noone lived through came into view. Cold gripped his heart and fear was induced as Itachi took control, spreading haunting images through him like a wild fire. Horrible past events, ones that lingered in the depths of his mind surfaced, coming back to haunt him.

"Familiar little images, aren't they?" Itachi spoke smoothly.

Every colour became inverted, nothing but blue, white, and black flamed around Kakashi. He fought to move, his limbs iced over and unmoving... there was no escaping. Itachi materialized, nothing more than a shadow with piercing eyes, and stalked towards Kakashi with unspoken cruelty glistening in his crimson orbs.

"We can't let you take Naruto back. It would be rather... unnecessary if you did. We've got more need for him now than you." Itachi took out a glistening kunai and waved it threateningly over Kakashi's stomach. "And... you're being quite bothersome, Kakashi. Perhaps..."

Jiraiya acted quickly once Kakashi's body began to shake. He unraveled one of three scrolls attached to his back, the finely made parchment flapping loudly throughout the cave as Jiraiya bit his finger, making a trail of crimson over neatly painted symbols. However, Kisame noticed the older ninja's summon technique and threw a black metal shuriken before Jiraiya could complete his special technique.

Neji lashed out as the missing-nin turned his attention away from him, but was violently kicked into a cave wall without warning. Kiba and Akamaru took over, distracting Kisame from Jiraiya as Temari, Kankurou, and Gai began to attack him from all angles.

Jiraiya flipped his scroll away and ran for Kakashi's fallen kunai with the transparent string tied to it. He tossed the sharp blade upward, catching it with his left hand and aimed for Itachi, causing him to release the copy ninja. There were no weapons thrown at him from Kisame this time so it was safe for him to assist in taking Itachi down.

Kakashi stumbled, nearly falling face first into the ground as Itachi's sharingan came undone, all inverted colours faded away shortly after. The silver haired ninja regained his balance and composure, refusing to cover up his own sharingan eye, even though it used up his energy tenfold to what he usually expended.

Lee and Sakura, who remained out of the fighting, headed for Naruto. Sakura skillfully dodged an attack from Kisame, the deadly sword almost grazing the small of her back. Lee kept a sharp eye out for danger, ready to defend the kunoichi at any second. They passed a struggling Gaara, whom nearly had himself standing, and reached Naruto shortly after.

Sakura now knew of what happened to the people known as Jinchuuriki once Akatsuki reached them. She witnessed it personally and wished for it to never take place again. The fact that Naruto, someone who had stuck up for her no matter what, would be ice cold dead was not a thought Sakura wanted stuck inside of her mind. It couldn't be possible, Naruto _never_ gave up.

The kunoichi threw herself down beside Naruto, sharp rocks tearing the flesh on her knees like glass, and immediately checked for a pulse as her heart beat at a rapid pace. Lee watched, his overly large eyes hardening as he waited for good news, it had to be good news. Guys like Naruto with the good guy pose _never_ gave up on life so easily. Gai-sensei had told him so!

"He's alive!" Sakura said as tears threatened to spill from her emerald eyes. If they had arrived any later, Naruto would have been dead.

Sakura gathered chakra to her hands, a green glow soon emitting from them. She first healed his burn marks and then focused on waking him up. Relief struck her hard as Naruto began to stir, slowly at first, then opened his brilliant blue eyes, confused as to where he was.

"Naruto!" Both Lee and Sakura said, happy that their friend was no longer closed off from them.

Gaara watched as Naruto looked tiredly around, alive and somewhat well. His arms were the only thing supporting Gaara upward and much to his dismay, pain bolted outward from his wounds and the shaking returned not too long after. Gaara fell down, flat on his back, the sand surrounding him protectively incase any attacks were made. But he wasn't finished, not yet, he wanted revenge. _Now._ For both himself and for Naruto as well.

Shikamaru smirked to himself as Naruto was helped up by Lee and Sakura. His ever so observant eyes caught on to Itachi as he moved slightly towards Naruto, his feet pointed in the blond's direction though he faced Kakashi and Jiraiya. Only seconds could be spared before harm was inflicted upon his teammates and so Shikamaru released his shadow jutsu, entrapping Itachi and stalling him momentarily.

Gaara knew the perfect opportunity to attack when he saw it. Sand circled his hand before he mentally commanded it to lash out, instantly wrapping around the bottom of Itachi's feet. Shikamaru's jutsu held the missing-nin in place, but only for a few seconds. Time was running out, Gaara had to act now.

Eyes narrowed, revenge so near, Gaara spoke quietly: "_Sabakukyu!_"

The bones in Itachi's feet were crushed within seconds, sending the powerful Uchiha to his knees involuntarily. Kisame, who blocked an attack by Gai, grit his teeth and once those surrounding him planned another line of assault, he jumped toward Itachi, slinging him over his shoulder while holding his dangerous sword in his left hand.

"I don't think so!" Jiraiya grit out, moving away from both Akatsuki members and bringing out another scroll. "You won't be leaving so easily!"

Everyone except for Lee, Sakura, Naruto and Gaara stood in front Kisame, allowing Jiraiya to proceed with his summoning while preventing both missing-nin from interrupting it. The fine parchment was stained with crimson as Jiraiya dragged his thumb down it. A large cloud of smoke appeared before the only way out of the cave moments later.

A gigantic toad, bigger than most buildings in Konoha, blocked any escape from Akatsuki's cave, his head pressing into the ceiling, causing several pieces of rock to rain upon everyone. He looked down, laughing at the sight of Kisame and Itachi.

"Akatsuki, huh? Do you want to be crushed or burned? It's your choice!"

Multiple large rocks, almost the size of boulders, came crashing down only two feet or less from Jiraiya. He danced around each rock, yelling loudly at the massive amphibian. Akatsuki's cave wasn't strong enough to stand being crushed, Jiraiya realized, and it looked as if the roof would cave in any second now.

Sakura pulled Naruto up, careful not to tear his arm off with her super strength as Lee helped her out as well. She guided the blond away from Akatsuki's monster-like thing, towards Kakashi and Gai. They passed Gaara, who was just barely standing, and Naruto insisted that he be helped too. The blond batted off Lee and Sakura, assuring them he was fine, then slung his arm across Gaara's shoulders, assisting him as the redhead walked on shaky feet.

A chunk of the ceiling plummeted down, creating a small fissure where it landed. More followed; the cave looked as if an earthquake had ravished everything inside, and soon noone could stand still, otherwise there was a great chance of becoming a ninja pancake.

"Put your pet away!" Temari hissed. "It's going to kill us all!"

Jiraiya refused, hoping that he could make mince meat out of Kisame and Itachi, but the possibilities were low. "They'll get away if I do!" He barked sharply.

Naruto and Gaara, along with Lee and Sakura, were close to their destination, dodging falling rocks and moving as quickly as they could. Naruto could vaguely see Kisame and Itachi, the darkness that still lingered blocked their appearance but it was enough for anger to clip his confusion and drowsiness in half. He handed Gaara over to a perturbed Temari, then ran for the two Akatsuki members despite the warnings everyone shouted.

Kakashi appeared in front of him, tired and worn, gripping Naruto's shoulders tightly. "Stop! You're in no shape to go after them, nor do any of us have enough time to fight. That includes you too, Naruto." The blond tried to pull back but Kakashi strengthened his grip. He looked ahead, nodding in Jiraiya's direction. "We've got to go... _now._"

A large cloud of smoke surrounded Gamabunta, followed by a slew of angry mumbling directly mainly towards Kisame and Itachi, then he disappeared. The entrance to Akatsuki's cave collapsed altogether, any chance of escaping was now gone. Naruto broke away from Kakashi and ran for the others as rocks rained down upon him.

"We've got to get out of here!" Temari grit out. She let go of Gaara and Kankurou took her place. She jumped upwards, opening her deadly fan, and sent blades of wind toward one of the cave walls. "Take that!"

Neji used his Byakugan, scanning the cave for any potential weak spots. He pointed at a crevice near by, informing everyone of his discovery. Kisame heard this as well, tightening his grasp on Itachi, then charged at the weak spot, his sword held out and ready to strike anyone down that dare get in his way.

A wall of sand splashed in front of Kisame, holding him back. Gaara felt his chakra weakening, but continued to fend off the tall man, determined and confident that it would work. Kakashi focused his chakra, blinding everyone and choking out the darkness as bright flashes of brilliant white sparked from his hand. With Kisame distracted, Kakashi ran to the wall and cut a thin line, spilling in light from the outside.

He walked casually back, though he felt extremely drained, and simply side-stepped rocks as they fell toward him. Kakashi stopped beside his rival, tilting his head to the left. "Gai, I think you should be able to finish the task of getting us out of here."

"Right!"

Gai gave the wall one good kick, one that was strong enough to rattle the cave, and soon after Kakashi's thin cut became a passage that could fit several people through at a time. Gai smirked as Lee praised his work.

"Great job, Gai-sensei! That was amazing!"

Sakura grabbed Lee by his arm and pulled him forwards. "Come on! We've got to get out of here!"

Jiraiya exited first, followed by Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, and Temari. Gai pulled Kakashi through, sending him flying where he landed in a patch of grass with Lee close behind. Sakura left next, though she wanted to stay and help Naruto, but he said that he was okay. Kankurou balanced Gaara as they made for the exit, Kankurou leaving first so he could lift his younger brother out. Gaara, however, stopped and turned back, extending his hand into the cave and grabbed Naruto, pulling on his arm. All three ninja fell backwards, doing small somersaults as they stumbled out of Akatsuki's cave.

Naruto sat up, shaking his head back and forth rapidly, then looked at their escape hole just as a large boulder came crashing down where he had stood only moments ago.

"Whooo... that... that was close!" He glanced down to where Gaara lay lazily, his eyes staring at nothing but the sky. "Hey... you okay?"

Gaara shifted his gaze to the seals and healed burn marks on Naruto's stomach. They had been so close to losing Naruto, even now those gut-wrenching screams were all too fresh, his life had almost been lost. Gaara nodded in a silent reply. "Are you... okay?"

Naruto looked confused by smirked nonetheless. "Well of course I'm okay! I'm not too sure what happened but I'll get those guys one day!" He clenched his fists and glared at the cave.

"Akatsuki..."

"Come on you guys!" It was Kankurou, already standing up, both hands extended toward Gaara and Naruto. "We've got to get back to Konohagakure!"

From inside Akatsuki's cave, Kisame stared blankly at the closed hole. He thrust his sword into the ground and set Itachi down. Naruto got away, their _key got away! _

"Damn brats..."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Konohagakure had been repaired. The tall, wooden walls were patched up and all those inhabiting Konoha settled back down, no longer afraid, no longer angry. A large welcoming party was gathered outside the village gates, most of the people ninja, others simply villagers that gained respect for Naruto over a small period of time.

Tsunade, along with Iruka, Shizune, and all the village elders, stood at the front of everyone. The Hokage smirked as those sent to retrieve Naruto came into view, striding at a fixed pace down the path. People cheered, shouted, and whistled happily when Naruto appeared.

"Hey... what's going on here?" The blond asked, terribly confused as to why everyone was cheering for _him._

Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "They're here to see you."

Tsunade and Iruka stepped forwards, both smiling widely at the blond. Naruto was completely dumbfounded... so many things had happened and yet nothing made sense. Gaara, who stood beside him, summoned sand, pushing Naruto ahead of everyone else to greet the Hokage and the Ninja Academy teacher.

"Welcome back, Naruto," Iruka greeted and Tsunade nodded. "We've got something special for you."

Naruto cocked his head, scratching his golden locks of hair sheepishly. Sakura chucked a small rock at his back, hitting her target perfectly. "Go on," she whispered. "Ask what it is!"

"Uhhh... yeah! What is it, Iruka-sensei?"

Tsunade smirked and spoke instead. "Well, Naruto... we've decided that," she paused, spiking Naruto's curiosity. "That..."

"Come on! Tell me!"

"Naruto, you are now officially a chuunin!" Iruka said loud enough for everyone to hear.

A cheer rose up, so loud that it was deafening. Naruto smiled brightly, flashing his teeth and laughing happily. This was great! People were congratulating _him_, they were happy for _him_, this time, nobody gave him the cold shoulder or disgusted looked, they were _celebrating!_ All around him people jumped up and down excitedly and everyone smiled.

Naruto looked around, feeling extremely proud. He was _accepted, _people _cared._

Naruto had never felt so happy in his entire life.

**_THE END!_**


End file.
